Across the Universe
by Akrim
Summary: They were supposed to be together. But fate kept tearing them apart no matter what universe.
1. Endless Skies

**Across the Universe**

Right there. Right that second her world shattered.

They had been drifting apart, slowly but steadily, unstoppable, never to be stopped.

The monocle came off, next came the hat and all that was left was his face, his eyes that never left hers, never strayed even a single inch away from her gaze. Her shocked, unbelieving eyes never leaving his, either.

She knew things had started to change when Kaito suddenly started doing things without her. He was busy with things he never told her about, he was always tired in the mornings, more even after heists and before. Now, of course, it made so much perfect sense and yet it did not make any sense at all.

This was supposed to be her best friend. The bestest friend she ever had, in fact. She thought, she always thought, she was the same to him, but right now she wasn't so sure anymore.

She had always told him everything. She told him all her secrets so that now she had none he wasn't aware of. None besides one, anyways, but right now that didn't matter. It didn't matter at all anymore because there was no way, no freaking way, she'd ever come to tell him now.

Kuroba Kaito was her best friend. But right now she found out that Kuroba Kaito was also Kaitou Kid. He was the person she trusted the most, the person she loved and treasured and now she found out that he was also the person she hated the most.

And something, something so deep inside her that she never even knew existed, broke. Not only did her world shatter and fall apart around her, making her walk on debris, making her make her way through ruins and dust and bricks and nothing, and nothing, and nothing and nothing and nothing.

And then she couldn't breathe because her bestest friend was actually her nemesis and they just put handcuffs on his wrists and they were about to take him away, to take away her bestest friend and she knew she'd never ever see him again and nothing would be the same ever again.

It wouldn't even if they did not take him away, though she did not want to think about that just yet.

His gaze never wavered, he never lost his Poker Face, not even for a second, not even when she was breaking apart, and there was no oxygen and why couldn't she breathe and where are you taking him and what's going to happen? No, _no,_ this couldn't happen.

She should have felt anger, she should have felt a just rage towards him that should have left her feeling satisfied that finally, _finally_ her father succeeded and apprehended that underhanded thief and yet all she felt was panic of losing her bestest friend and never ever seeing him again. And he, he never stopped looking at her, fixing her with his blank Poker Face and she couldn't breathe.

And then one second passed and then another and there was a pull and _she had to do something_! This was her best friend and even though he was her nemesis and he did not tell her and he lied to her and she had proved her father wrong when her father had actually been right and _oh God Hakuba knew. Hakuba knew. Hakuba was right._

And yet, and yet she could not let go, she could not let her bestest friend be taken away.

She still had the _Endless Skies_ that she was supposed to take care of inside her pocket and all she had to do was play her cards right. That's what Kaito taught her anyway, right? Always keep your Poker Face, that's what he did. And Kaitou Kid never let his Poker Face slip in front of an audience, at least.

 _Just be smug and full of yourself and they're never going to see the difference._

Kaito was Kaitou Kid. And Kaito had handcuffs around his wrists. And Kaito was to be led away, arrested, never to see sunlight again.

Suddenly, clapping could be heard and everyone stilled in their doings. They stopped pulling Kaito with them and instead turned their faces towards her.

Aoko was grinning from ear to ear and even though her heart was going 180 beats per minute she was the epitome of calmness on the outside.

"Ne, ne keibuu" she said smugly and looked her father straight in the eyes. Slowly, she took the diamond out of her jeans' pocket and threw it lightly in the air. When the energy left the small gem and gravity took over, she caught it with ease and repeated the process. Throw and catch, throw and catch, never taking her eyes off of her father.

"Aoko, what is the meaning of this?!" he bellowed, obviously waiting for a _good_ response because she was keeping him from putting that outrageous thief behind him behind bars. And that, after he was _finally_ able to catch him, even if it _was_ a shock that the thief was actually Kuroba Kaito, a boy he's known for too many years to not be affected by this.

"Really, keibu, it's as easy as always" she exclaimed and with one last throw she let the diamond disappear out of the air. (Suddenly she was incredibly grateful that Kuroba Touichi had taught her a few magic tricks when he was still alive.) Never losing her Poker Face and the widest grin she ever sported she pointed towards Kaito who looked at her like she had just grown a second head and probably also a third one. "That guy being Kaitou Kid? Don't make me laugh, keibu."

Aoko put both her hands into her pockets and hoped very much they wouldn't actually see through her anxiousness and her wildly beating heart. She was still feeling like not enough oxygen was entering her system but she's never felt so clear in her mind before. And even though there would be consequences, consequences for everything, for Kaito's betrayal, for Aoko's betrayal, Kaito being the Kid, the lies, the lies, the lies, Aoko did not think about it.

"This boy" she pointed towards Kaito who looked like a deer caught in the headlights "is actually my biggest fan. Did you know that, keibu? It was easy to find out that the _real_ jewel would be with Nakamori-chan, so I had to disguise someone else as myself to be able to get to Nakamori-chan, no?"

Hakuba spluttered and took a step towards Aoko, pointing angrily at Kaito. "Now, Nakamori-chan, don't do this to yourself. Obviously, the real Kaitou Kid is Kuroba Kaito and you're just trying to take the blame, aren't you? He isn't who you think he is, stop protecting him!"

Aoko wanted to scream and rage because _Hakuba_ had no right to tell her what to do and if she knew Kaito or not. But right now she was playing to be the thief so she couldn't just blow up on him.

Instead she grinned a little wider. "You are _so_ gullible. Just because you see someone in a costume doesn't mean it's the real deal." She had to wrap this up real fast and go. Really, she had to make them believe Kaito was not Kaitou Kid but really, what was she doing? How _was_ she going to leave anyway? She took out the diamond again and watched it carefully. It was clear, see through if you squinted enough, just like glass and for a second she wondered if it even was the real deal. "This one was with Nakamori-chan so I'm taking it now. You might want to free her from the closet I locked her in. Oh and of course, you should get her some clothes." She pocketed the diamond again and looked at her father with a winning expression.

"Well then, _Otou-san,_ I'm outta here." With that, she turned around and sprinted. Her father was flabbergasted behind her but caught himself pretty quickly. It was just so Kaitou Kid to have a double disguise and then to have the nerve and disguise himself as his daughter. _Again_!

"Catch him! That's the real thief! Catch Kaitou Kid!" he bellowed and ran after Aoko.

Hakuba cursed quite creatively and pointed an accusing finger towards Kaito. "This is not over, Kuroba. Why ever it is she protected you, I'll find evidence to lock you behind bars. Mark my words!" With that he turned and left after all the officers to make sure Aoko did not get hurt.

How Kaito always escaped the squad was honestly beyond her. Right now, they were quite far away from her because she got a nice wide head start but they were continuously gaining up on her and she didn't like that one damn bit. She needed to think a way out of this and fast. If they got her and found out that she wasn't Kaitou Kid but indeed just Nakamori Aoko everything would be blown and Kaito might run but he sure couldn't stay in this country anymore and she was having none of this. So running it was.

She would jump out of the window because that was what Kid always did, only she couldn't just fly away so jumping out of windows was crossed off the how-to-escape-the-police-squad-list. What then? She turned yet another corner and spotted the door for the staircase. Yeah. That would have to do. She should probably just run down, so that she could hide inside the crowd outside and lose them. Or something along the lines, only her body was disobeying her and why the hell was she running upstairs, dammit?

Soon footsteps sounded behind her and her heart stopped for a second. Just _how_ exactly would she shake them off?

 _Try thinking for a second, Ahoko_ Kaito's voice resounded inside her head. Well. That wasn't helping much but that voice was right. Only she really couldn't think about much else but run, run, runrunrunrun don't stop. So run is what she did.

There was a door she slipped through, a corridor, another door, another corridor, turn right then left, another door, downstairs, door, corridor. Next thing she knows she was standing in front of a glass front overlooking all of Tokyo and her heart sunk because now she was trapped. There was only the way back which she didn't dare go in fear that Otou-san was already waiting for her but what else was she going to do?

And before she could despair a second longer something beneath her exploded and the glass beneath her feet cracked and suddenly she was falling and this was not supposed to happen. Panic gripped her when she felt glass break her skin and pain, there was pain everywhere and she was still falling and falling and how far would she fall, she'll surely die here. _Protecting Kid was a stupid idea_ was her last thought before the world around her stopped and only pain stayed.

* * *

"Shit _shit_ Aoko! Do you hear me?! Shit! Don't move, I'm getting you off there, just stay put, you hear me?"

She opened her eyes slowly, the world around her shapeless and blurry and really, she felt nothing but pain. She was hearing things quite clearly, though. Or as clearly as she could with her head pounding and her chest hurting so much and really why was breathing so painful again? But still, she heard Kaito's voice as clear as she could or was she hallucinating, after all? Since when did Kaito sound as scared and panicked as then? It was absolutely out of his character. He was arrogant and full of himself, so being worried for someone and even openly showing it, was something that Aoko's never seen before. At least not like this.

When things started to take on edges and she felt like she could _see_ again, she saw that thief in white fretting quite a distance. He looked highly concentrated on doing what – she couldn't say.

She couldn't feel her arm, she was sure she could not feel it. And there was blood. Or was it? There was red around her. So if it was blood, was it hers? Her heart sped up again in panic. Was she bleeding? Was she dying? She fell quite far and wasn't she standing on some glass platform before she fell?

The thief slowly crept ever closer and she didn't understand why. What was taking him so long? He was suaveness in person – usually that is. So what the hell was he doing now?

She saw the jewel, the Endless Skies still clutched in her hand. Only, weirdly enough it wasn't see through anymore but of a dark red color – red like her blood. Maybe it _was_ just her blood, though. Or maybe she was just hallucinating because her vision got blurry again and the world around her lost its shape again. Kid was just a white speck on the horizon or maybe that was something else. She couldn't tell. And when the pain got so bad that she couldn't even think anymore because that pounding in her head was so bad and couldn't she just _stop breathing dammit?_ If this was what dying felt like, she really wanted no part in it.

Before she heard or saw the cracks that suddenly started beneath her or the hand that grabbed her forcefully and pulled her towards a body that brought her towards solid ground again, everything had long since gone dark.


	2. Fake-Kaito

First of all dear anons thank you so much for your lovely comments! You made my day. That's why, here is the second chapter :)

I hope you'll enjoy it!

* * *

 **Across the Universe**

 **Chapter 2 Fake-Kaito**

When Aoko opened her eyes again, everything was dark. But it was a _weird_ dark. It wasn't even dark _per se_. Aoko didn't really know how to describe what she just saw and a slight panic spread out inside of her.

 _Where_ was she?

Everything was silent. From what she could gather there was no wind, no pressure, no nothing. She heard herself breath, heard her heart beating. It was weird. She's never encountered such silence before but it didn't feel _unpleasant_ like when you're with someone and don't know what to say and this strange silence develops.

The air felt even nice. It was warm and cold at the same time, a mixture Aoko couldn't really place. If anything it felt natural.

There were … staircases all around her which lead to what looked like doors. They went right and left and up and down.

 _Is that one_ upside down _?!_

Swallowing hard, Aoko stood up and examined her surroundings. She was obviously standing on one of those staircases, behind her a door standing proud and tall (why she thought that a door could _stand proud and tall_ she didn't know).

It was dark, like, the war pitch black all around those doors, like when you look at the stars at night and only the stars twinkle while the rest is pitch dark and yet you can _still_ see.

 _That's right. Maybe it's night time. And the doors could be stars … well … or something like that._

From her point of view the stairs as well as the doors looked like they were _glowing_ and while she wouldn't call it a glow, those doors _did_ emit some kind of light because she could see them inside this pitch black darkness.

Aoko leaned against the door behind her. She's never seen anything like this and wondered what made her mind come up with something like this – because _obviously_ this must be a dream. Nothing more and nothing less but a dream.

Sighing and smiling softly, Aoko pushed herself away from that proud standing door and followed the stairway. If this was a dream, she could just as well explore it. Maybe there were some kinds of surprises waiting for her behind those doors. Maybe it was something like _Alice in Wonderland_. If it was, Aoko couldn't wait to see it since Alice used to be her favorite book when she was young.

The doors all had the same kind of color, if you could call it that, the only difference was the _feeling._ While the door Aoko had found herself in front of at first felt strong and proud, the one she stopped in front of now felt _heavy_. If she had to describe it, it was that kind of tired heavy where your chest feels so heavy and all you want to do is sleep, sleep it all off and maybe the next day will be better only to find that, in fact, it wasn't.

Without thinking about it any further, Aoko pushed the handle and entered the room.

The young girl didn't really know what to expect but this was probably _not_ what she would have come up with. Closing the door behind her, she stood curiously inside the room.

From the looks of it she was inside a bar. It was rather loud and there were many tables with a lot of people, men mostly, drunk. The air felt heavy, not the depressing heavy she felt from the door, but the hot and choking heavy where too many people stayed inside one room without a single breath of fresh air.

So far, Aoko's only been once inside a bar, well, at least one like this and that time was with Kaito and Jii-san. Back then she hadn't felt at ease, not in the beginning, but since Kaito had been there (and Jii-san of course) she'd felt safe.

Whenever Kaito was with her Aoko had the feeling that nothing could happen to her. If it was because she was a girl and he a boy and usually boys protected girls or because she liked him more than she should and hoped he'd do for her what she'd do for him, she didn't know.

Maybe it was because Kaito had always protected her, so far. Be it the one time at school when they were hunting a ghost and she was scared to the bones or the time she barely remembered when they were in Okinawa and she went diving with this strange fisher man. She didn't remember what happened after that but when she woke up Kaito was with her. She'd felt strangely warm when she realized she'd been probably in danger and Kaito got her out of it – safe and sound.

But that was neither here nor there. Right now Aoko was inside a bar she never saw before, alone, and while she didn't feel scared per se, she felt not at ease. Not one bit.

"Now, what do we have here?" Suddenly a voice snarled next to her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her towards a big and smelly body.

Aoko took a sharp breath, trying to free her arm from the iron grip but it was futile, the more she fought him the harder he held her.

"Let go!" she yelped, turning her head to face the man who looked drunk stupid, fat and had a greasy grin plastered on what he called a face. He had several scars run along the full length of his face. He pulled her up on his lap and Aoko blanched.

"Let go!" she yelled again but instead of help only laughter reached her ears. There were other men around the table, probably, Aoko was too busy trying to fight that guy off to watch her surroundings. "Let me go, please!"

The guy snarled in her face and put his hand on her leg. Fear shot through her like a rocket and froze her. All of a sudden she felt cold, so incredibly cold, and the farther his hand went up the more she felt like throwing up. This was not happening – this was _not_ happening.

Then the next thing she knows, she's standing back on her feet, a tall body in front of her, protecting her from that creep.

"You touch that girl again and I off you, are we clear?!" the man in front of her growled threateningly and the burly guy shut up without much fight.

Aoko was shaking slightly, barely standing on her feet. The man in front of her, his back, looked somewhat familiar but she couldn't really tell where from. After what felt like an eternity he turned around to her, grabbed her arm and shoved her out of the bar rather forcefully.

"That-that hurts. Let go" Aoko cried out but the man didn't let go, instead he started walking faster, pulling her along.

Now this was bad. While, for a second, she'd been happy that he came to her rescue, Aoko wasn't sure anymore if she really should feel so happy about it. But before she could protest any more they came to a stop in front of a car.

"Get in!" he bellowed and pushed her towards the passenger seat.

"Now that's enough!" she yelled. "Not even Kaito talks to me like that!"

It was a futile attempt at bravado, a wide jump but one which gave her enough courage to face that man head on. And Aoko froze.

"Kai – to?" she whispered. She'd not noticed it before but now that she saw his face, she realized he looked just like Kaito and he'd even _sounded_ just like Kaito – a little more gruff and deeper but it was overall Kaito. Her Kaito.

He squinted his eyes and frowned at her. "Who the fuck are you? Why the fuck do you look like her and _what_ the fuck has a little girl like you been doing inside that fucking bar, huh? Are you even 15, yet?!"

"Well, _excuse_ you! I'm 17! And you're most likely _not_ Kaito. Kaito would _never_ talk to me like that, you- you- you _imposter_!" Aoko yelled back.

The fake-Kaito took out a packet of cigarettes, took one out, lit it and while inhaling it closed his eyes for a second. When he blew out the smoke he opened his eyes again and nodded. "Fine. Now. What is your name?"

"Nakamori Aoko."

He scowled at her. "What the fuck are you saying? Are you fucking _kidding_ me, girl? Now, again, what is your fucking name and if you don't tell me the truth I will fucking end you!"

Aoko swallowed hard. What was wrong with him? "It is custom to give your own name first!" There was the fake bravado again.

Fake-Kaito looked utterly annoyed, the scowl never leaving his face. "Kuroba Kaito. Now, what is _your_ name, Missy?!"

Aoko gasped. "But – that's _impossible._ You _can't_ be Kaito. I mean, you _do_ look like him and your voice is the same, well, mostly and you _do_ look older than Kaito but-"

" _What_ the hell are you blabbering about?!" Fake-Kaito inquired angrily.

"Kaito doesn't smoke! Unless –", she looked hesitantly into his face. "Do you maybe have a younger brother? With the exact same na…" She noticed what a dumb idea that was. Why would Kaito have a younger brother named the very same? "Ah, I guess not, huh?"

"Your name. I'm waiting." He nearly growled, a sound so utterly alien coming out of Kaito's mouth that it startled her.

"I-I already told you. _Dammit Bakaito!_ I'm Aoko. Nakamori Aoko!"

Suddenly, he grabbed her throat and pushed her against the car. "Now listen here. _Aoko_ ", the way he called her name sounded so utterly broken "died fucking seven years ago. _I_ buried her myself. _I_ 'd fucking _know_ if she, in fact, was still alive. One more time. Who. The. Fuck. Are. You?!"

Aoko gasped for breath, fear freezing her mind. This was _not_ her Kaito, most definitely _not._

"You're disgusting!" he spat and shoved her on the ground.

The girl took large, heavy breaths.

Fake-Kaito went up and down in front of her, taking a few deep gulps of air, probably trying to calm himself down again.

"Fuck!" he suddenly cursed. Throwing the cigarette away, he knelt down to her. "Look, I'm sorry. You just look like _her_ and you even have the same name."

Aoko shook her head frantically. "Sta-stay away from me."

"I'm sorry." Aoko looked up to him. He had the very same blue eyes Kaito had. Even if it was dark, in the middle of the night, the lamp posts providing the only source of light, Aoko could point out that one thing. He sounded genuine enough. But to think that _Kaito_ would actually attack her …

"Where do you live, Kiddo? Let me make it up to her."

This was probably the first near-death experience, and while she knew there were a few times she couldn't remember where she _might_ have experienced similar things, she couldn't stop shaking. Her heartbeat was still racing inside her chest, the adrenaline paralyzing her to the spot.

"Alright" Fake-Kaito said and sat down next to her. "Calm down a little and let's talk. I'm not going to hurt you."

Aoko tried scooting away from him, even a little bit, but her body just didn't want to listen to her. This was really bad. She was alone with a man who just tried to choke her because she told him her name. A man looking too much like her childhood best friend who'd never act like that. A man who even shared the very same name with her childhood best friend. Something was very wrong here.

(Though, if she was really honest with herself she'd see that he didn't do much more than push her against the car for a second or two.)

"So. What is this Kaito like? The one you've been talking about? Obviously you know one beside me." He put on a mask, the same way she was used from Kaito. He looked curious enough but didn't let her see any emotion which may betray him.

"He's my friend" she croaked out. "That's right" she looked up with a new fire in her eyes, "if kaito finds out he'll beat your ass! And if Outo-san finds out he'll -"

Fake-Kaito nodded for her to continue. "Ah well, maybe Otou-san shouldn't find out. He's keibu. He isn't involved with murder but he's been the one assigned to catch Kaitou Kid. He _does_ possess a gun."

Kaito's face visibly darkened and Aoko wished she could take back those words. Apparently, they triggered something again and she didn't want to be on the receiving end anymore.

"Where do you live, Kiddo?" he asked in a serious voice after a short while.

Aoko shuddered. This was absolutely not Kaito. Kaito was _never_ this serious. Maybe that was the reason, being alone with a dangerous stranger, which urged her to tell him what he wanted to know. "In Ekoda."

Fake-Kaito sighed deeply, pinching his nose in obvious frustration. "I don't know if you're trying to pull my leg, if this is a dumb joke for you or if you _really_ believe what you're saying but how about I take you there and you tell me the truth after that?"

Aoko shuddered again and doubted she had much choice here. She didn't want to go with him even if he looked calm enough right now but what if he tried to hurt her again?

"I promise not to hurt you again."

"Easy for you to say after you nearly killed me", she spat back in his face and already regretted it deep inside but she wouldn't be Aoko if she didn't go down fighting.

Fake-Kaito smiled slightly. "You're honestly just like her. Now get in the car. Let's go."

The imposter unlocked the car and pulled her to her feet – against her vocal protests.

"Look", he started, "according to you, your father is with the police, right? If I take you to your place he could simply shoot me. You'll be safe with him, am I right?"

"Who knows if you'll really take me there and not kidnap me instead?"

Kaito arched a brow and looked amused. "Besides, you're drunk. Just look at you. One moment you're saving me, the next you're about to rip out my throat and then suddenly you smile like that." Aoko pointed an accusing finger towards him and Fake-Kaito couldn't stop grinning. "S-stop that!"

Suddenly, there was a single rose in front of her face. It was the single most identical thing to being _Kaito_ that it took her breath away. How could he be so much like Kaito and at the same time _not?_

Perhaps it was the rose or perhaps it was his disarming smile, she didn't know, but one of those got her inside his car and while she was yelling at herself inside her head for falling into the trap of a psychopath and how she _wasn't_ going to survive the night, she felt strangely at ease.

She hadn't even told him her exact address but she soon recognized her neighborhood (which looked slightly different but Aoko placed it to the other strange things that happened this night). She wondered how he knew where she lived but didn't question it since he took her home where her father was probably waiting for her.

 _Crap! What time is it? Otou-san will be livid._

The rest of the car ride passed silently and Aoko was grateful for that. She didn't know what triggered this man and she really didn't want to further try her luck. He was probably drunk, so she shouldn't be sitting in this car and he shouldn't be driving but rationality has long since left her and apparently him, as well. So silence was the most appreciated thing right now.

When this imposter stopped in front of a property she jumped out without thanking or telling him goodbye and stopped abruptly when she realized what was in front of her.

They used to have a fence which was half destroyed and where there used to be their house, there were only ruins. Ruins of something that could have been her house but Aoko wasn't sure.

Uncertain, she turned around and eyed him sharply. "Where did you take me?!"

"Nakamori-keibu. Is that your father?"

Aoko nodded slowly, dread spreading inside of her.

The Fake-Kaito viewed the worn-down property. "After Aoko died, Keibu stopped taking care of himself. He blamed himself for her death. A few months later the house was on fire. I imagine he did it himself but I have no evidence. He was found inside the ruins."

Aoko took a sharp breath. "You're lying!" she yelled. "Otou-san's just fine and you're just a stupid liar! That's a lie. There's no way he could be dead. _I'm_ alive!" She was choking on unshed tears. It must be a bad dream. This _couldn't_ be real.

He watched her with a solemn look. "Why would I be lying? The evidence of the truth is right in front of you. Maybe this is all but a dream because this is where _Aoko_ lived, _my_ Aoko and yet this is apparently where _you_ lived as well. I don't remember the Keibu having a second daughter, one much younger even."

Aoko was shaking her head in denial. "No, no, this is impossible!" Why couldn't she remember anything? Wasn't he at a Kid heist just yesterday? Aoko clutched her head in a tight grip.

 _Remember! Remember, dammit. Remember, you idiot! What happened yesterday? There was a Kid heist, wasn't it? There's_ always _one. There must have been one again. What then? What then?!_

Despair took a hold of her and Aoko crumbled. "No!" she sobbed. "That's not possible."

The Fake-Kaito walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. I'm sure this is just a mistake."

Aoko tore her head up to him, angry at his words. "A mistake?! How the _hell_ is _this"_ she pointed towards the ruin that used to be her home, " _possibly_ a mistake?"

She violently shook his hand off. "No, no, this is wrong. It's all wrong." In the distance something was shining a brilliant white and that was when she remembered everything.

With tear stained cheeks and widened eyes she turned to the Fake-Kid, pointing at him.

" _You're Kaitou Kid_ :"


	3. At home at last

I can't express how happy your reviews made me! Thanks a lot!

I think this story will be a lot different from what you might imagine and I hope you will stick with me. Some things will be explained during this chapter, others will take at least 3 more. I try not to rush things that's why everything is kind of slow.

Anyway, on with the story.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Across the Universe**

 **Chapter 3 At home at last**

"No, not _you_. Kaito! _My_ Kaito. I found out he's Kaitou Kid because that idiot got caught." She kept her finger pointed at the fake. "There was a Kid heist yesterday, or" She looked around her. "actually, I don't know when. But I ran away from Otou-san to save Kaito's ass and got hurt. I must have lost consciousness."

Fake-Kaito looked at her calmly. "And then?" he inquired.

Aoko looked down, her mind in deep concentration. "I-I don't know. There was this … I don't know. Doors. There were doors."

That's right. She'd been in an odd place where there was only darkness and doors and stairs. She'd declared it a dream, nothing more and nothing less, but could _this_ be possibly a dream?

A _nightmare_!

Aoko looked up in shock when she came to a realization. Back in the car she'd thought the houses looked differently but she'd thought she was tired and it was dark. Now, though, she realized that they really _were_ different. This was _not_ where she grew up. This was _not_ her home.

When the girl started pulling her hair in distress and oncoming panic, Fake-Kaito kneeled once again down to her so they were at eye level, and gently grasped her hands in his, stopping her from hurting herself any further.

"Take a deep breath, Aoko."

She looked at him with wide eyes full of panic and shook her head violently. "No", she sobbed. "You don't understand! This is _not_ where I grew up. It looks the same but it's not."

Kaito nodded in understanding. "Then maybe I got the address wrong."

His soothing aura calmed her enough to start thinking again. "What- what day is today?"

Kaito let go of her hands when her grip weakened and instead wiped her tears away. "Today's the first day of the forth moon month in year 2876."

Aoko's eyes bulged out. "Are you _kidding_ me?" she shrieked. When Fake-Kaito's expression didn't change like she expected (something Kaito was prone to do – _her_ Kaito that is), she swallowed hard, realizing he was dead serious.

Clutching her head again, Aoko fell to the ground, all power left her.

"You don't understand" she wailed. "There was a Kid heist and everyone besides me was fine. That's at least what I remember. I must have been brought to the hospital – there was blood, I remember blood, probably mine."

Only now Aoko looked down at herself. She was _not_ wearing the clothes from before. It was the dress she'd once worn to the date with Kaito. She had needed to prove to her father that he wasn't Kid but besides that, she'd been really looking forward to the date. Anyway, that's what she was wearing right now. But her legs seemed fine, her arms had not one scratch. How could that be?

"How does my face look like?"

"Tearstained" was Fake-Kaito's answer and Aoko exploded on him.

"Not _that Ba_ kaito! I must have some wounds, _anything_! I fell pretty far and hard, there was glass, I _must_ have some wounds." She was panicking again.

"Aoko", Fake-Kaito said in his matter-of-fact voice. "Calm down. Panicking won't get you anywhere. Your face looks just fine. You don't have any wounds. It's getting pretty late. How about I take you with me, you sleep a night and tomorrow we'll think about a solution to this problem?"

"I _hate_ Kaitou Kid. It's all _his_ fault."

Fake-Kaito sighed and nodded. "I hate him, too. But now let's go. You must be freezing."

Aoko was listlessly staring at her arms which were the same unblemished colour they used to be. She didn't understand how this was possible.

"I'm in the future. Somehow I traveled into the future" she mumbled.

Kaito arched another brow. "What makes you think that? Obviously, something's very wrong here. But the future? I don't think so. There has not been a Kid heist where I let Aoko get hurt and most definitely has your father never caught me."

She tore her head upwards and stared at Fake-Kaito who had his dark gaze set on something on the horizon. For a second she wondered if he was here with her or somewhere far away. " _You're_ Kid?!"

Kaito looked down to her. "Not anymore, kiddo. I used to don the costume but I long since buried it. Just like you I detest the phantom."

"Then why!" she screamed, pushing to her feet to run to him and hit him on his chest. "Why did you _do_ it?! Why would do all that? Was it just for fun?!" It was a futile attempt at trying to hurt him.

Fake-Kaito had a wistful look on his face. "I don't know about that Kaitou Kid of yours but I had a reason, back then. I did not do it simply for kicks."

Aoko came to a stillstand. "I don't under _stand_." She burrowed her head in his chest, her hands falling limply to her sides.

Fake-Kaito sighed again. "Let's go, Kiddo." Softly, he shoved her back inside the car and closed the door behind her. She let him do it without any more protests.

If she wasn't in the future _where_ was she? Was this some kind of bad dream? A joke? Did Kaito prepare all of this? Was this punishment for saving his ass back then? Or did she die and then somehow come back? But she didn't know _this_ world. Wherever this was, she didn't know it.

The drive to Fake-Kaito's apartment went on as silently as before. Aoko'd thought he'd take her to the house she was used seeing him in – namely in _his_ house but very soon they left Ekoda and steered for Tokyo.

She wasn't even that much surprised anymore. So this guy who looked like Kaito, was named _Kaito_ , sounded like him, probably had even the same _secrets_ as her Kaito – this Kaito used to be Kaitou Kid, after all. Just like her Kaito.

It didn't make any sense. During the heist she got hurt, she knew that much. She most likely hurt her head, as well. But how could hurting her head explain all of this?

She was somewhere which looked like what she knew – only it wasn't. She didn't know this world. A world where Nakamori Aoko hasn't existed for seven years if Fake-Kaito hadn't lied to her. But then again, what reason did he have to lie to her? She'd seen the remains of her house, the evidence that her father was most likely as dead as her dead counterpart.

There were so many differences but just as many similarities and how could that be? How could a world so similar to hers exist? Why would there be a second world with all the same people and lives and _everything_? It seemed more like a really elaborate dream. Since her mind couldn't produce anything new, it projected the world that she knew as a new one and made her believe she was somewhere else.

"Do you think I could be in a coma and this is all but a dream?" she asked silently.

Fake-Kaito was focused on the street but at her words he turned towards her and smiled slightly. "Well, if coma patients can react to their surroundings, I think it might be possible. But that would mean I'm just thought up. I'd just be a different version of a Kaito you know, right? Besides, I'd rather not have you be in a coma. People don't always wake up from that, you know? I'd much rather you be safe and sound and live your life to the fullest."

Aoko slumped in her seat. "But if this is not some weird dream world, _where_ am I. And how did I get here? And why?"

Fake-Kaito kept silent.

Aoko watched the outside world through the glass. She felt serene, just like the whole world, now that she had time to actually look and think about it. The houses were all a tad darker than she remembered them being. The people, if there were any, looked emotionless and if not, they looked sad or angry. She hasn't seen a single one who was laughing. The streets looked dirty and rundown. Nothing like what she was used of Tokyo. It may have been a copy of the world she knew, but a much darker one. One Aoko didn't want to spend too much time in if she was really honest.

They stopped in front of a huge dark building. The garage door opened in front of them. So, technologywise, they seemed to be at the same level. At least, that was a little comforting.

When Fake-Kaito parked the car, Aoko sluggishly got out and followed the lookalike to an elevator. They didn't exchange a single word, not in the elevator which took them to the highest floor, not when Aoko followed him through the long and narrow corridor, not until they were inside his apartment. It was the last one on the corridor. One, which had the darkest, rundown door she'd ever seen and Aoko wondered if maybe she _did_ walk home with a psychopath who'd kill her now.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I wasn't prepared for a visitor so if you'd just excuse the chaos." He seemed honestly embarrassed and hastily put his dirty, at least she assumed it was dirty, clothes away. "Make yourself at home."

 _Yeah. I'm with a stranger who looks like Kaito but is not and I'm supposed to make myself at home. If this was Kaito's place, I mean_ my _Kaito's place, then sure. Not that my Kaito belongs to me or anything._

Fake-Kaito bustled a few minutes around the apartment until he came at a halt in front of her with a disarming smile. "Now, Ojou-sama. Would you like something to eat? Drink? Let me show you around the apartment first."

After taking her shoes off, she took his outstretched hand and followed him through the apartment.

The hall was narrow and short and soon led to three glass doors.

"Now, Ojou-sama. To the left there is the bath, if you turn around you'll find the kitchen and in front of you is the living room."

Aoko turned around and followed Fake-Kaito to the kitchen. She was surprised at how huge the room was. In one corner was a big dining table with a lamp hanging low above it. Next to the table was the kitchen unit in two rows. Kaito walked into the middle and got her a glass of water.

Suddenly exhausted, Aoko sat down on one of the chairs and took the glass. "Thanks, Kaito."

There was a window next to the table but since it was dark outside and the light was on inside, Aoko couldn't see anything. The girl sipped the water, her mind far away again.

It was a little later that Kaito put a cup in front of her and sat opposite of her. "Drink. It's hot cocoa. I know my Aoko loved it."

Aoko slowly took a sip of the hot beverage and smiled happily. "It's yummy."

Kaito grinned and took a sip of his own drink. "I know. It's the best you can get in this city."

Aoko couldn't help but smile at that. "You're charming as ever, aren't you? By the way, thanks for saving me back there. I guess I wouldn't have gotten out of that one on my own." She shuddered at the thought of the slimy guy and where his hand had wandered.

Fake-Kaito's face darkened considerably and gripped the cup tightly. "You still haven't answered what you were doing there."

Aoko shook her head. "Nothing. Like I said before, I was in this – I don't know, but there were doors so I tried one door and that was where I ended up. But why didn't anyone else help me?"

"People in this world don't help others much. That's how we are. There are always exceptions. Aoko was one of those. She was the kindest soul on this whole planet. There are also others but those are rare. People usually fight for themselves and only build alliances but not real relationships. At least that's what Aoko always implicated."

They were silent for a long while after that. Aoko gazed glumly into her cup and let her mind wander.

"Aoko, how about you take a nice hot bath and then go to bed? It's already pretty late and tomorrow will be a new day. With people shrinking this is not the weirdest thing I've seen."

Aoko looked up, startled. "What?"

Kaito blinked and cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Nothing. Forget what I said. Point is, everything might be back to normal by tomorrow."

Sighing, Aoko nodded and took another sip of the now barely warm beverage.

"Now, let me get the bath ready for you. I'll be right back." With that the fake Kaito left and Aoko stayed back, alone with her thoughts.

If this was but a dream then everything would be just fine once she woke up. But people usually didn't know they were in a dream, right? And if she knew and told herself to wake up, why didn't she? So, this couldn't really be a dream, now could it?

She knew she didn't want to be here. This Kaito may have been nice and all but he wasn't _her_ Kaito and while she knew nothing would be the same once she got back, she wanted nothing more.

She didn't even dread the conversation with Kaito about him being Kid. That wasn't even the worst part. She wasn't even angry about that anymore. Given the fact that she might be trapped wherever this is forever, she'd prefer a lying Kaito being Kaitou Kid anytime.

She could still think about what she'd do about it once she was back but since she didn't know when or if – no, she didn't want to think about that possibility – she got back, there was no need to get worked up about it now.

When Kaito of this world came back to inform her that the bath was ready she couldn't help herself. "Why do you hate Kaitou Kid?"

He leaned on the doorframe and viewed her with a detached look. "Kaitou Kid took everything from me. I admit hating him won't change things but it's easier if you can blame something."

"Why are you so open with me? I guess that's the biggest difference between you and the Kaito I know. I never know what he really thinks or why he does things."

Fake-Kaito went up to her and stroked her cheek softly. "Because, little Aoko, if I had been this open from the beginning _my_ Aoko might still be alive today. If you are but a product of my imagination or if God gave me another chance, I don't know but I'm not going to make the same mistakes again. And now, hop into the bath and no more questions."

His touch felt warm and nice, something which was so alien coming from Kaito but at the same time she didn't want him to stop. "But –", she started to protest until Fake-Kaito put his hand over her mouth to stop her. "No questions. I'm the adult here so the kid has to listen, got it?"

Aoko bit his hand and with a curse on his tongue he let go. "I'm 17. I told you before. I'm not a kid! Besides, how old are you? You cannot be older than 17 and half."

Kaito frowned. "I'll have to inform the young miss that I, in fact, am a fully grown adult of the age of 25. Now, do you want me to carry you to the bath? Because I'm very inclined to do so."

Aoko stuck out her tongue at him. "No way are you 25." In truth, though, Aoko wasn't surprised. He _did_ exude some kind of authoritative air only an adult could possess and 25 did seem to her to be old enough for that.

"Well, and you sure don't act like a 17 year old woman. You act like a 10 year old, if you ask me." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and watched her with a stern look. Aoko only once again stuck out her tongue at him and left for the bath.

At least until she was alone again, she realized how he had successfully raised her mood and made her gloomy thoughts go away.

Sighing again, she stripped and entered the hot tub. It soothed her a little but didn't keep the dark thoughts away. He was fun to be around if he wanted to and maybe if she got to know him better, she might like staying here. But back when he met her, he attacked her and Aoko couldn't get it out of her head that he might be very well dangerous. She didn't know him. She only knew another version, another Kaito, that had nothing to do with him.

Her Kaito would never attack her. Sure, he _had_ raised his stupid card gun and threatened her with that but he was also an incredibly good shot and he'd never seriously try to hurt her. With this Kaito though, the intent had been clear back then. Even now, with all the easy banter, he never lost that dangerous edge.

He was so different from her Kaito but she couldn't say that she didn't like the difference. He was honest with her. Something Kaito hasn't been for a very long time. It was a refreshing change, once in a while. She wondered what made this Kaito change his mind though. And then the thing with Kaitou Kid. So, something happened while he was Kaitou Kid? Did his Aoko die while he was being Kid? Had he kept that a secret as well? Was that why she died?

That was another thing Aoko wondered about. If this Kaito was 25 and that Aoko dies seven years ago, he was 18 and if their ages were anything like in her world, that other Aoko was 18, too. If this was some kind of reality and Aoko was trapped here, did that mean that she'd die in about a year's time? Was she sent here, wherever this was, to die? Or was she sent here so that this Kaito could stop it from happening?

And what did he mean by shrinking? People _couldn't_ simply shrink. Maybe this world was more different than she thought, after all.

Suddenly, the door opened and one Kaito entered. Aoko shrieked and hid deeper in the water. "Get out! What are you doing?! Get out!"

"Jeez, calm down. I saw Aoko naked before. I imagine you won't look any different so what's the big deal? Anyway, here's a towel and here are a few clothes. They should be fine."

"You-you-you're just like _him_. You're such a pervert! No matter where I am, Kaito is Kaito. I _can't_ believe that. Get _out_!" she screamed and threw a bottle after the other after him until he left, laughing hard.

Shaking and breathing hard, her face burning red in embarrassment, Aoko tried to get her raging heart back under control. This was _so_ Kaito. Now, that she thought about it, Kaito had seen her naked, as well. Back then when he gave her that one odd little robot thingie, she'd gone to take a bath and he'd been watching like the creep he was through the window. She'd never felt more embarrassed in her life, maybe that was why she nearly forgot about it.

Though, she still remembered the beating she gave him the next day when she saw him on the way to school. She'd never felt more satisfied than that day.

If she knew this Kaito wouldn't retaliate in some dangerous way, Aoko would give him a good beating, as well, but as things stood she didn't know him and rather didn't risk things.

Slumping in the tub, she pinched her nose in frustration.

 _This pervert. Creep. Kaito!_

Deciding to get out before Kaito barged in _again_ , Aoko took the towel to dry her off and then put on the clothes he provided. Basically, it was boxer shots (his probably) and a big shirt that fell to her thighs (his as well, probably). She felt utterly naked, if she was really honest. Especially staying over night with a guy who looked like Kaito (a guy she actually had a crush on – no, cross that, was quite in love with) with nothing on but boxer shorts and a dark loose shirt.

Well, she didn't have much choice seeing how she didn't have any other clothes and she didn't want to wear her dress, either. The bra was really uncomfortable to sleep in, she never got how her friends could do that.

Watching herself in the mirror, Aoko didn't see a difference. This was her, alright. This was her seventeen year old self.

Sighing for the hundreds time this night, she lightly brushed through her hair to smooth it out a little and left the room. Kaito was waiting for her in the living room. It was a big room with a big couch, currently transformed into a bed, a big TV, shelves and cabinets full with books aligned along the wall. On one side there was an open staircase. So he even had a second floor?

If she had to stay here for a while, at least his apartment was really nice. She'd have to clean it but other than that she kind of liked it.

"It fits you. I knew it would" Fake-Kaito expressed amusedly.

Aoko scowled at that. "Honestly, first you attack me, then you're nice and then you just barge in while I'm bathing. You're horrible!"

Instead of getting angry, Fake-Kaito petted the space next to him on the couch and smiled warmly. "How's your throat?"

Aoko sat down next to him and touched the spot where he got rough with her. It didn't hurt and when she had looked herself over in the mirror it wasn't red, either. "It's fine."

Kaito tenderly stroked over her skin. "I'm glad. I'm still sorry about that. Won't happen again, promise."

"Why did you attack me in the first place?"

"Because this world is cruel, Aoko. I've experienced many bad things. I thought this was some new kind of cruel joke played by people who hate me. You have to admit it's very unlikely that your dead girlfriend rises from the dead, don't you?"

"Ah well …"

"Anyway. Promise me one thing, Aoko. No matter what happens, don't leave this apartment on your own. You don't know the world outside. You're a good girl, you have a kind soul. If you want to go out or want to see something, if you need anything, ask me. I'll get whatever you want. I'll take you wherever you want to go, just don't go alone, alright?"

Aoko nodded. "Alright. I promise. No leaving this apartment without you. But what if you attack me again?"

Kaito shook his head. "That is one thing I can promise you won't happen again. You're safe here."

Aoko only nodded. At least her Kaito barely kept to his promises. Maybe this one was different, maybe he changed and kept them now. Maybe this Kaito had always kept his promises. Well, it wasn't like Aoko wanted to leave anyway. Time would show if he was honest or not.

"Good. You can sleep here, if you need anything I'll be up, alright?" He pointed to the second level and the staircase that led there. "Don't hesitate to wake me if you need anything. You know where the kitchen is, the bathroom as well. Well then, good night, little Aoko."

He patted her head affectionately and stood up.

"Good night, old man Kaito", she said in a teasing voice and reveled in the toothy grin plastered on his face.

He left upstairs and left her to herself again. Aoko lied down on the bed and snuggled in the blanket. It smelled just like she was used from Kaito. It felt comforting in this sea of newness.

When she closed her eyes she realized how tired she actually was. The whole night, even if it wasn't much more than a few hours, has been weighing down heavily on her. It felt nice to be lying in a nice and warm bed, coated in Kaito's smell. There were definitely worse things.

* * *

When she opened her eyes the next time, she couldn't close them fast enough. Damn, her head _hurt_. Her _body_ hurt. What was going on?

"Aoko!" a voice cried out forcefully. It sounded like her father. There was chaos around her, that much she could make out. "Aoko. How do you feel? Aoko?"

She opened one eye again, watching her father walking next to her. Wait. Walking? She _wasn't_ walking. The world was also strangely vertical.

"Hurts" she croaked out and closed her eyes again. She could tell it was dark but some light was still blinding her.

What happened?

There were more voices, telling her father to calm down and someone else was speaking, someone she knew but couldn't really place where from.

When she forcefully opened one eye again she was staring right into a dark sky, or that's what she thought. There were heads around her, people in uniforms.

Paramedics.

 _Right. The heist. I must be back home._

She closed her eyes again, feeling relieved having finally figured out what was going on. She was lying on a stretcher, probably, and paramedics took her somewhere. Well, it would explain her pain. It must be quite the wounds if she was taken in by the paramedics.

* * *

So, Aoko's back. What do you think? Was it a dream? What is going on?

Stay tuned for the next chapter: Not a dream after all?


	4. Not a dream after all?

A big thanks to everyone who reviewed, you made me honestly super happy and I can't thank you enough.

I love Fake-Kaito, as well and I want him to be happy and have a happy ending. Let's see if we can get him back ;D

On another note, this story is mostly from Aoko's perspective and since she is super confused about what is going on, the story feels the same. Once things are cleared up things should make a lot more sense. It will still take a few more chapters to go there, so please wait a little longer :D

And now on with the story!

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Across the Universe**

 **Chapter 4 Not a dream after all?**

She must have passed out because when she woke up again she felt highly disoriented.

"Aoko! Thanks god you're awake. How are you?!"

She turned her head to the person talking to her and found her father sitting on a chair.

"Where am I?" she croaked. She felt horrible. What happened?

"You're in the hospital, honey. You got hurt pretty bad last night, _if I catch that good for nothing thief I'll make him pay!_ " he seethed.

Aoko groaned in frustration. Right. The heist. So she was in the hospital now?

"How are you, Aoko?" asked another voice. Aoko turned to the person and sighed. At least the charade had paid off, it seemed, since Kaito was sitting on the other side of her bed. He looked utterly worried and guilty for a second, until he schooled his expression again.

"Like I've been run over by a bus. What happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know" her father intervened. "What happened, Aoko?"

 _Shit. Think, Aoko. How the hell did you get out, huh?_

"I-I don't remember much. I –", suddenly the door opened and Hakuba entered.

Aoko groaned quietly. Not Hakuba. Everyone but not _him_.

"Nakamori-chan. I'm glad you're awake. How do you feel?"

Aoko turned her head away from the detective and faced involuntarily Kaito. Thinking about him, she decided she didn't really want to see him either, though. "I'm tired."

"That's right. Rest and we will leave now. I'll come visit you in the evening again."

Nakamori-keibu pressed a small kiss to her forehead and left for the door. "What are you waiting for? Aoko needs rest", he grumbled and threw Hakuba and Kaito out of the room.

Aoko sighed in relief and closed her eyes again. Her body hurt but it wasn't as bad as what she assumed was last night. She must be on pain killers, which she was thankful for.

So, she was back. Weirdly enough she was back again. She was honestly relieved to no ends to have her father back. Just thinking about the possibility of losing him tore at her heart. But she didn't. He was as fine as he could be. She was also back with the Kaito she knew.

Did she just dream? She must have. It couldn't have been anything else, right? But she could remember all details of the dream which she usually couldn't. Whenever she remembered a dream, it was always only partly and definitely not so detailed. Could her mind really have come up with such a thing?

She felt kind of sad thinking about how she wouldn't meet this Kaito again. He was so different from her Kaito. There was a dangerous side to him but she liked the other side of him. The soft side, the protective one, the honest one. She wasn't sure if he really was honest with her but he'd been open with her at least. He told her things, he answered her questions. While she loved her Kaito, she couldn't help but miss that other one.

And now that she was back she could go back to the thoughts she'd put away in the bathroom. What _was_ she going to do with Kaito? If she was really honest, for a short while she'd been happy to be away from this situation because she didn't know what to do about it. She didn't want to think about it, about the consequences she needed to take.

Kaito was Kaitou Kid and while that wasn't the worst thing, it hurt. He was the man she most despised. He was the man who ridiculed her father on a weekly basis and felt good about it. When thinking about it, she realized Hakuba had known and Akako probably, too. They were always talking about it and she never understood, never _wanted_ to understand. She played the dumb girl because she didn't want to face the painful truth.

And now? What would she do now? If Kaito had told her from the start that he was Kid then, maybe, she would have accepted it right away. Maybe she would have supported him, helped him. Him being Kid didn't hurt as much as all those lies he had spouted.

He lied to her and deceived her and while he didn't owe her anything, weren't they friends? And didn't friends help each other? For her, he was her bestest friend and she couldn't bear the thought of losing him. No matter what, she couldn't be without him.

Maybe the worst part wasn't even him being Kid and his lying but her betraying of her own principles. For him, for the lying, deceiving thief she went and deceived her father. She deceived herself, didn't she? She protected the thief and went against all she believed in.

But back in the situation all she could think, all she saw, was her friend she couldn't bear to lose and not the thief he was being. She only saw Kaito and not Kaitou Kid.

She thought back to the words Fake-Kaito said. He hated Kid because it took everything away from him. Did her Kaito hate Kid, too? But if he did, why didn't he simply stop being the thief?

It took a while for Aoko to realize just _who_ Kaito was and who Kaitou kid was. The thief was an internationally wanted criminal. Granted, he gave back most of the jewels and mostly it was just a big show (of crimes nonetheless) but it wasn't any less illegal. She had a best friend who at night was an internationally wanted criminal.

For a second, Aoko couldn't breathe.

Could she be friends with such a person? Was _Kaito_ nothing but a big lie? But she loved him. She _couldn't_ have been so blind, could she? They spent so much time together, went on so many dates (unofficial of course) – was it all just a big, fat lie?

She wiped her tears away and only now noted the bandages around both her arms.

 _Right. I fell headfirst through glass. I don't want to know what my face looks like._

Sighing, Aoko closed her eyes and put her arm across her face.

The question wasn't really if she could stay friends with Kaito. The question was could she _not_ be friends with Kaito?

* * *

There was a knock some time later, after a doctor and several nurses visited her. She didn't feel much like socializing so she said nothing and hoped the visitor would just leave. If it was a nurse she'd come in anyway.

Unfortunately, the visitor didn't seem to be able to read her thoughts or maybe he did and entered the room just to spite her. She could never really tell with Kaito.

"Hey", he said after he closed the door behind him. "I brought you get well flowers."

She just kept looking at him dryly. She didn't really want to see him, didn't want to talk to him. She had questions but she was also incredibly tired and there was a buzzing pain present that never quite left. She really didn't feel up to confronting him now.

Of course, Kaito wouldn't be Kaito if he took the easy way out – the easy way for the both of them.

He put the flowers inside a vase and sat down on the chair her father had occupied before. "It was kind of difficult to escape your father's clutch hehe."

"Why are you here, Kaito?"

He became serious again. She didn't like it when Kaito was serious. It was so unlike him, so unlike his cheery, jerk nature.

"Why did you do it? I was doing just fine, no one would have gotten hurt. I had things under control."

Aoko snorted. "Yeah right. If you call that under control I don't want to know what it looks like if you _don't_ have things under control."

"Just for you information, there was a second Kaitou Kid on standby. Your father's been interrogating me the whole day today. You gave me an alibi but I would have gotten a much better one had you not interfered."

"So it's my fault now?!" she yelled angrily. "Well, I'm fucking _sorry_. Rest assured next time I'm not going to do _shit_ to get your ass out of shit."

"I never said it was your fault. And you _better_ stay away from Kid heists from now on. You'll only get hurt again!"

"Why are you here, Kaito?!" she asked again. "If you want to know if I'll tell Otou-san, well, obviously, I can't. Even if I wanted to tell him I couldn't since it'd break his heart to know that his daughter actually protected the man he had been chasing how many years now."

"That's not why I'm here."

"Then why?!"

He had an expressionless mask on once again, something which she was quite used by now but it didn't mean that it hurt any less.

"Why did you do it?" His voice was even, calm, somewhat curious.

She wondered what she should tell him. Because I love you? Certainly not. Because underneath all the masks you're still my best friend and I couldn't bear losing you? Well, it was certainly true but would it change anything? Would it help him understand her? Probably. But did she want that? She didn't know. Because, in that moment, she'd not been thinking about anything else but how wrong it was seeing him in chains? How she couldn't bear seeing him like that? Despite him being Kid she couldn't see him behind bars.

Well, she could tell him all that. But Aoko didn't think it was time for that. He didn't think he needed her help. In fact, he didn't want it. Did he want her friendship? Would things change now between them?

 _Stupid_.

Of course, things would change. There was no way around it. She was angry and hurt and didn't know what was right and wrong anymore. He was an internationally wanted criminal and her best friend and somehow those two things didn't work together.

She didn't know what to do. But she also didn't want to rush things and do something she might regret later on. Losing him and finding out it was the biggest irrevocable mistake would kill her.

"I don't know." That's why she lied and hoped he'd understand that she needed time to clear things for herself. She didn't know herself anymore. She betrayed her father, herself and helped an internationally wanted criminal. She didn't know what that meant. Right now, she didn't want to find out, either.

"What are you going to tell your father then?" He sighed and slumped in his seat. "I'm not sorry about being Kaitou Kid. I'm sorry you found out like that. And I'm sorry about the lies but they were necessary."

He watched her with tired eyes. "I won't judge you if you tell your father. I'll respect your decisions be it canceling our friendship, hating me or whatever will make you happy."

"No!" she yelled because right there, only the thought of losing him broke her heart. "No. I – I don't know, Kaito. Obviously, things can't stay the same. But I did things I don't understand and unless I have figured them out I cannot continue like before. I'll tell Otou-san what I told you before. I barely remember anything. Last thing I know is I was falling through some kind of glass platform after there was an explosion."

Losing him felt suffocating but being close to him didn't feel much better right now and Aoko didn't know which was worse.

"Alright. I'll give you all the time you need. Just stay away from future heists, for your own sake. You lost so much blood I thought you wouldn't make it and all that just because you thought you needed to help me. Don't do that again."

With that he stood up and left for the door. "Get well soon, Aoko."

* * *

He left and Aoko wondered why this felt like she'd not see him again.

This time, when Aoko found herself again in this strange dark sphere with only doors and staircases, she didn't panic.

So, one way or another she was back. Wherever this was and whatever it meant but she was undeniably back. There was once again the proud standing door behind her. Curiosity got the better of her and she followed a path. It was a different one than last time.

She didn't know if she should be scared. Obviously, once she fell asleep she somehow landed here. But it didn't always work. When she had been transported from the heist, she'd fallen asleep and a few times after that and nothing happened. She wasn't in a coma to explain this, either.

Stopping, she turned around and watched the door behind her. What if she went through that door? What if that's where she entered. How – she didn't know but maybe that was the entrance to – this. Whatever and wherever _this_ was.

Shrugging, because she didn't really care much, she continued on her way. To be perfectly honest, she didn't want to go back. In that world only pain and lies were waiting for her and Aoko knew she couldn't take it right now. Maybe it was her coping mechanism. Maybe it was but her mind coming up with all these things because she had so utterly betrayed her own beliefs that she didn't even know who she was anymore. Maybe she'd gone crazy.

Aoko stopped in front of a door which felt the calmest she'd ever felt. It felt soothing and comforting and she didn't waste another second and entered.

What greeted her was green beyond belief. A soft wind blew but it wasn't cold, it was pleasant. She was on some kind of hill full with the greenest grass she's ever seen and the bluest sky ever existing.

"Who are you?"

Aoko jumped in scare and turned to the figure who called out to her. She froze and squinted. Was that … Kaito? Only – older? _Much_ older, if it really was him.

"Ah, I'm sorry. My name is Nakamori Aoko. I can't really explain how I got here or why but now that I'm here, please don't kill me."

She crossed her fingers behind her back and hoped for the best. Wherever she was, it couldn't be real, right? It was just her mind playing tricks on her or well – she was most likely going crazy but if she did, nothing of this was real. And if that was true she didn't have to fear to die because then she'd just wake up in her world again and be safe and sound.

"Aoko?" He sounded friendly enough. He wore a black combat dress and his look was unfocused. His hair was even more unkempt than she was used from Kaito but she found it endearing.

Looking down upon herself, she found herself wearing her school uniform. Another indication that this was just her mind breaking. Because if this was real she'd give herself some more trendy clothes, wouldn't she? But because her mind couldn't come up with anything else, she was wearing her simple school uniform.

"Why can you not explain how you got here, child?"

Aoko walked up to him and bowed. "I'm sorry. I don't really know where this is but I don't think it's real. I think I lost my mind and this is the result. That's why I simply don't know how I got here."

The man put a hand on her head and closed his eyes. "As far as I can tell, there is nothing wrong with your head, child."

She felt warm, instantly all her thoughts felt sorted, her mind as clear as it has never been. She looked up with eyes big as plates. "How did you do that?" she asked in wonder.

"It's a simple ki-technique, my child. How about we go inside and have a cup of tea?"

 _Inside_?

Aoko turned around to follow this man only to find a small hut. She nearly jumped, feeling stupid not having seen it was there. It must have been the door she came through, after all.

"What's your name? Because you look awfully like Kaito – only older."

"I have many names, child, but I was born as Kuroba Kaito."

To say she was surprised was an utter lie. Another Kaito? And he told her there was nothing wrong with her head? Well, she had major doubts about that. But that was pretty consistent as well, wasn't it? Her mind trying to tell her that she was wasn't, in fact, losing her mind. That's thoughts a crazy person thought, right?

Aoko was thoroughly confused but followed this Kaito inside the hut, anyway. She took her shoes off at the entrance and sat at the small table. It was a typical Japanese house, if she was honest. It was a single room with a simple kitchen unit, a few shelves, a futon in the corner of the room, a table with paper on it. There wasn't much else inside this hut.

She was honestly astonished how her brain could come up with all this, but since it was kept distinctly Japanese, there was no way this _wasn't_ a product of her wild imagination. It wasn't reassuring at all, knowing that she was losing her mind (or already lost it) but at least she was in company with a kind Kaito.

The older Kaito placed two cups on the table and sat down across from her.

"Drink, my child."

Even his voice was soothing and comforting, something she never knew she was in dire need of. She took a sip of the tea and instantly felt calm. All the tormenting thoughts, the lingering doubts, the fear of losing her mind, they were all gone.

"Now take a deep breath and tell me what's bothering you, child."

Aoko put the cup down and looked him in the eyes only to jolt upwards. "You – you- you can't _see_."

"This?" he pointed to his eyes and Aoko nodded, nearly hitting herself for forgetting that he _can't_ see, so nodding was kind of in vain. "Yes."

"But I don't need eyes to see, child. I see plenty without them."

Aoko openly stared, lost in astonishment to form any sentences.

"One day you might understand it, as well, but as for now, you're still too young, your heart is too closed to truly see."

Aoko knew she'd heard things like this before – in movies and stuff. It was highly possible her mind projected all that into this Kaito.

After she calmed down a little, she sat back down and took another sip of the tea. It did what it promised and she felt instantly better.

"Where do I start? Ok so, this is not my world, obviously, as I came to realize. I think this is just in my mind since I've been through a lot of scathing things recently."

Aoko looked down into her cup, warming her fingers on the hot porcelain. "I have a best friend who I might have fallen in love with but I long came to accept it. This friend means the world to me. To be honest, that's Kaito. Kuroba Kaito, as weird as it is. Anyway, so during the last heist Kaitou Kid was holding I discovered that Kaito is Kaitou Kid."

"And who is Kaitou Kid?"

"Ah, you mean you're _not_ Kid?"

"No, I haven't heard of that name before."

Aoko was dumbfounded for a second, but got to her story soon enough. "Ah well, I guess some things _are_ different. So Kaitou Kid is this thief who my father tried to catch his whole career –which has been incredibly long, some 18 years or something. So, whenever Kaitou Kid sends a notice to steal another jewel my father is away for the longest time. Kaitou Kid is a criminal, so he's bad and what's more, he's the reason I barely see my father. Furthermore, my father really isn't young anymore and I'm worried about his health. If I wasn't bringing him bentos to work I doubt he'd regularly eat."

Aoko sighed and took another sip, soothing her soul.

"I can't say I like Kaitou Kid and I always hoped my father would catch him and put him behind bars. But recently I found out that actually my best friend is that thief. And what's even much worse, I lied to him. I can take his lying, his deceiving. But I really don't know what to think about myself. Stealing is bad, people should get punished for stealing. Lying for someone is really bad, as well. But I didn't just throw all my principles away in a single second, I also lied to my father and betrayed him. I didn't choose his side, instead I tricked him and saved my friend instead."

"I think saving your friends is always the right choice."

"Yeah. That goes beyond saying. But Kaito said I shouldn't have done that. He said he had everything under control. Well, it didn't look like it. And I was really scared of losing him. In that moment I didn't think about consequences and all that stuff. I just wanted Kaito to be safe. I got myself hurt and landed in hospital but – and maybe that's what bothers me the most – I don't regret it. I don't regret protecting an internationally wanted criminal and going against my principles."

She snorted in self-disgust. "Just what does it make me? I always thought myself to be standing on the side of justice. But by protecting Kaito I wandered over to the other side, didn't I? It makes me just as criminal as Kaito. What if I get angry and kill someone? If I can't even keep to my principles of justice how do I know I won't hurt someone?"

"Saving your friend does not make you a bad person. It does not make you a criminal, either. It says more about you what you do and what you do not do than how you do it, child. What would have happened if you didn't interfere and went against your principles?"

"Well, according to Kaito everything would have been fine."

"But it didn't look like that to you."

"No, I thought I wouldn't see him again. I couldn't bear the thought of not being able to see him anymore."

"Now, think about how you would feel if you had stayed true to your principles."

Aoko wanted to answer but closed her mouth shut after recognizing that she didn't know.

"Think about it, child. Saving a person does not make you a bad person. You acted based on what you thought to be the right thing in that situation. It does not make you a bad person. It does not make you a criminal."

Aoko sighed dejectedly. "Well, whatever. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Still, I think that is the reason why I've gone crazy. As I said before, I got hurt, right? I passed out and when I woke up I found myself in this strange place. There was only darkness and doors and staircases. When I followed one and went through a door I ended up in a world similar to mine. I met another Kuroba Kaito. He was – different. Angry, violent, had bad mood swings."

She shuddered at the memory. "Of course, he was also kind. He said he used to know a Nakamori Aoko but she died some years ago. The world had a weird time system. But when I went to sleep I woke up in my world again. Now that I think about it, only after I talked to Kaito and was pretty upset, I woke up in this strange place again. I really think I'm losing my mind and talking to Kaito gets me in so much overdrive that it cannot help but send me to these odd places."

"For a second I had thought that I might have been sent to that world to prevent my death but I don't really think that. Besides, you're not real, either. That's why I'm telling you all this. It feels really comforting being here with you and drinking this tea. I feel at ease with the world, much more than before at least."

The older Kaito put his cup down and went around the table to kneel in front of her. "Close your eyes, child."

Aoko did what he told her – this was nothing more than a product of her imagination. What could go wrong?

Kaito put his hand over her closed eyes. "Now take a deep breath. Try to breathe through your middle."

Aoko opened her eyes to protest but he increased the pressure a slight bit and she closed both her mouth and her eyes. She tried to simply take a deep breath and hoped it was what he wanted. It seemed it was, for after a while he withdrew from her and faced her with a serious expression.

"Your soul is in disarray."

"I know I don't feel well."

"No child, what I mean is that this is but your spiritual body. Your soul is divided from your body right now. This is what tears on your mind and leaves you with these thoughts. You are not going crazy."

Aoko must have looked like a fish, opening and closing her mouth like that. Thankfully Kaito was blind and didn't see her stupor.

"You need to go back to your realm, child."

"Wait, wait, _wait!_ " She stood up and took a few steps away from her. "Are you honestly trying to tell me that this is not just my mind but I can somehow walk through dimensions? I mean that sounds crazier than the thought that I might _be_ crazy."

"The world is full of miracles, my child. I wouldn't put it past the realm of possibilities. However, I cannot tell you how exactly it is possible."

Suddenly feeling tired and exhausted, she slumped down. "I don't really know what to say."

"I think we still have a little bit time. Come with me, child."

Kaito stood up and left the hut. Looking after him, Aoko weighed her options. Follow him and see what he wanted to show her or stay here and pout. Though, she wouldn't call it pouting, more along the lines of an existential crisis. But soon the hut felt suffocating without the soothing presence of Kaito inside with her, so she shuffled to her feet and followed him outside.

It was bright outside but the sun didn't shine. It was a weird world, if she was honest. There was not one cloud and the sky was so incredibly blue but there was no sun. Not one she could see, at least.

Kaito was sitting in the green grass a few feet away and as she approached she caught sight of the cliff they were actually on. He was sitting right at the edge and Aoko sat down next to him. It went quite far down but from what she could see it must be beautiful down there. It looked like water and waterfalls. Everything around her was just green grass, the water down there was a welcome change of scenery.

"Now close your eyes and listen to the wind, child."

Aoko, for once, didn't question him and did what she was told.

There was a soft and tranquilizing breeze, dancing around her, embracing her, purging her of all the thoughts inside her head. It felt cool but not too cold, she didn't feel cold at all. She felt warm and safe and taken care of. She felt one with the world around her.

There was the sound of the grass moving with the breeze, she expected chirping of birds but there were none and actually it didn't feel strange. It wasn't amiss amongst all the other sounds.

It was a strange one, this world. It worked wonders on the soul without even trying. Aoko never was a spiritual person or one who knew things about ki and other things (nothing besides the things she saw on TV anyway) but this world didn't seem to care. It simply healed all the wounds there were without asking for something back. Without asking how she got them in the first place. It didn't matter.

How she was able to wake up in her hospital bed, Aoko would never know. She felt strangely rested and the pain was mostly gone. Now, she could put it on the meds but she didn't think so, anymore.

Was it true? Was she really not losing her mind? Was that not some kind of weird dream? _Another_ one?

She didn't know.

Wasn't that how a crazy person felt?

* * *

How do you guys like my Old-Kaito? :D And what do you think happened? Did Aoko lose her mind? Is she just dreaming? How is all that even possible?

Btw I have most of the story figured out, only the ending is still hazy but I'm so hyped about what is to come :D So much will happen and I can't wait to write it :D

 **Next chapter on Across the Universe: Scientist-Kaito**


	5. Science-Kaito

**Across the Universe**

 **Chapter 5 Science-Kaito**

Three days after she was brought to the hospital, Aoko could leave again. During the time her father had multiple times interrogated her on which she could only reply with the same fairytale every time. She was knocked out during the heist, no she didn't remember anything after that not until she woke up again and wandered around, disoriented, until she arrived at that glass platform and soon after there was an explosion and she couldn't remember much after that.

Her arms looked horrible, they were littered with deep scratches needing stitches, her faces was scratched and bruised just like the rest of her body but thankfully her arms took the brunt of the fall. She didn't want to have scars on her face, under no circumstances and the doctors were quite confident the wounds would heal just fine.

Her father told her that the jewel was stolen by Kaitou Kid, after all, and the thief hasn't yet given it back. She wondered why but didn't really care for the answer.

Kaito, as expected, didn't visit her anymore. She knew he wouldn't but it still hurt. It left a sore spot which didn't feel like healing somewhere deep inside her. Hakuba, though, he was like an insect, never leaving her alone.

She used to like the British detective but ever since she found out he knew about Kid, though Kaito had never admitted to it, as Hakuba had informed her (it felt reassuring knowing that those people found out on their own and yet Kaito was still denying it – aside from her) she couldn't help but feel a slight aversion towards him.

He wanted to know why she did what she did and she hated him for it because it brought back all those doubts about herself and her sanity and he really wasn't helping at all. Her father, when he wasn't interrogating her, forbid her from going to any more heist and vocally regretted having put her up there the last time. He didn't outright blame her for losing the gem but she wasn't stupid. He probably had to dictate to those higher ups and had to explain how things went downhill so fast.

He also told her that there had, indeed, been an explosion. Reluctantly, he admitted that sometimes there were people who obviously wanted to kill Kid. They weren't often at the heists but whenever they _were_ there were bullets and other deadly evidence. So far, no one was able to catch them and things only got worse. Her father suspected those people to be the cause for the explosion this time.

Thankfully, though, no one died and she was the only one who got hurt rather badly.

When her father wasn't with her, he was working. There was another Kid heist during the next few days, Aoko didn't care asking and no one told her. Whenever Kid appeared on TV she switched the channels or turned the TV off.

A few times Keiko visited her and brought her homework. Sometimes they'd do it together but mostly, Aoko had been alone. She hadn't liked that one bit because being prisoner to your own thoughts wasn't very pleasant, especially not when you were absolutely sure that you were losing your mind.

She hadn't put that thought out of her mind, yet. She couldn't. There was no way she had suddenly the ability to visit different worlds. While she didn't think it impossible for other worlds to exist, she couldn't wrap her head about the possibility to explore them. That was some high science not yet possible in this world.

And magic – as magical as Kaito was – she didn't believe in. How would that even be possible? She read Harry Potter but that was an entirely different world. That was fiction, _that's_ what it was.

What _other_ possibility was there?

Aoko was by now absolutely sure that she lost her mind. The only difference from before was that she didn't care.

That problem aside, she still wasn't any closer to what she was going to do about Kaito. Keiko had immediately picked up on it but that wasn't that hard since Kaito usually spent a lot time with her, they were practically sticking together and yet, whenever she came he was nowhere to be seen.

She also told Aoko that Kaito seemed glum. He was still his usual cheery self but somehow not so cheery anymore. She couldn't really describe it and Aoko didn't ask.

So, after three boring days in hospital she was finally back at home. She could sleep in her comfy bed, smelling like her and not bleach and chemicals. She could cook whatever she wanted, eat whatever she wanted. What she didn't expect though was the silence that hit her like a truck.

Her father had left her as soon as she left the car. They still had to decipher Kid's message and he had an inkling that the thief would strike very soon.

She deposited the bag inside her room and slumped on her bed. She would have to go to school tomorrow and she still didn't know how she should face Kaito. Should she face him at all? Did she have an answer for him?

Sighing, Aoko let herself fall on her bed and observed the ceiling in her room. It was white, as white and depressing as her mood. She wished so bad she go visit one of the Kaito's again. The dangerous Kaito or the old one. Both would be alright. Both would be a welcome change of scenery and thoughts. She could ask the older Kaito about his life, what he'd been up to, how he lost his eye sight and how he did all these amazing things feelingwise. She had felt really better after she was with him. Well, and the other Kaito, he was a nice refresher from her Kaito who promised to take her everywhere she wanted.

Closing her eyes, Aoko imagined being back in that dark world – the inter dimension. It had felt weird, like there was no oxygen but she could still breathe, no gravity but she wasn't floating. It was dark but she could still see. And there were so many doors. She felt giddy just thinking about them. What kinds of worlds would be awaiting her? Could she actually try them all? It felt nice, running away from reality. It was easy. She didn't have to face her problems, her troubles, her pain.

Sighing, Aoko opened her eyes again only to find her in that very same inter dimension she was just thinking about.

If that wasn't crazy she didn't know what was.

Grinning from ear to ear, she didn't care about craziness and ran down another path. She felt excited being back, getting to explore more, new worlds, if that was really how this worked. Maybe being crazy really wasn't that bad. She even fully enjoyed it.

Aoko came to a halt in front of a door which exuded some sort of seriousness. She didn't really want to face serious people but was curious enough to push the handle and enter the room.

" _Aoko?!_ "

The girl in question had trouble adjusting to the lights inside the room but as soon as she did she came face to face with another version of Kaito. He looked older than the dangerous (Fake-)Kaito but much younger than the old one. If this kept up she needed to start giving them distinguishing names.

She grinned and winked. "Hai! My name is Nakamori Aoko and I have no idea how I got here but it's nice to meet you."

She bowed slightly and observed the man in front of her. His hair was as disheveled as she was used to, he wore jeans and a button up shirt over which he wore a white coat. They seemed to be in some kind of laboratory, so was this Kaito a scientist? That was neat, he could help her with homework if she had any questions, right? Though, science was never a problem for her.

"How is that possible?" he gasped. He touched her shoulder as if trying to verify that she really was there. "You're supposed to be dead."

Well, at least it was a better reaction than from Danger-Kaito. And since Old-Kaito couldn't see, he couldn't recognize her, unless she didn't exist in that world. That could be because Kaitou Kid didn't exist there, either.

(Of course, it all entailed that she _wasn't_ crazy which she still highly doubted.)

"Ok, so I think you got something wrong. If you knew a Nakamori Aoko looking like myself, I can safely say that I'm _not_ that person. If she's dead then that's what she is. I lost my mind and now my mind creates all these fancy worlds I can visit. Another Kaito said I might be able to actually _visit_ those worlds and that I'm not crazy but I highly doubt it. Anyways. You look just like Kaito. Your name isn't Kuroba Kaito, is it?"

The Kaito lookalike snapped his mouth closed after her speech and he looked like he was in great pain.

"Oi, are you ok? How about you sit down?"

She gently took his hand and led him to a chair on which he sat down. "Now. Should I get you a glass of water?"

He shook his head and held her hand tight when she wanted to let go. She looked startled for a second until she realized that none of this was real and nothing could actually happen to her. She smiled encouragingly.

"Do you need anything?"

It was then that Kaito let go of her hand and placed his face in his hands. He looked done with the world until he looked back up, a fierceness she never associated with Kaito overtaking his features. He stood up, grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him.

"Oi, where are we going?! Kaito?"

They left the laboratory and walked through a long narrow hallway. It looked just like a hospital and she would know since she'd just left one.

He pushed her inside one of the rooms, towards the beds and Aoko got a little scared. She wasn't used to be manhandled like this and even if it _wasn't_ real she _didn't_ have to take any of it.

"Sit down!" he commanded, "I need to do some tests. I never thought this might happen again."

She wanted to protest but didn't. The expression on his face, she didn't like it. Seeing Kaito desperate was something she never wanted to experience and yet here she was.

It looked like a doctor's room. There was a bed in the corner, a table and a pair of chairs, and shelves with syringes and others utensils.

Kaito left the room only to come back a few seconds later. He had a tray with a lot of different things with him, which she didn't like one bit.

"What is all that?"

He took a stool and sat down in front of her.

"Alright, Aoko, listen. I need to check your vitals, alright? I'll take some of your blood to test it. I'll check your heart rate and blood pressure."

Aoko shook her head in protest. Now this was too much. "Wait, wait. Why are you doing this? This is just inside my head, this is a little too much, honestly. And besides, you haven't answered my questions. Are you Kaito or not?"

He seemed to collect himself and nodded. "Alright. Yes. My name is Kuroba Kaito, I'm 34 years old, I'm a scientist and doctor and what you are experiencing right now is not in your head but something I never wanted to experience again."

Aoko blanched. "What?"

He took her hands and watched her carefully. "Listen Aoko, this really is not in your head. I don't know how you gained this ability, we never found out, but this is rather dangerous. How did you get here?"

"What are you talking about? That's not possible. That would be magic." She wondered if she sounded as desperate as she felt. That's not how she imagined this meeting. She had actually wanted to flee from her problems, not encounter any more.

"I cannot really tell you if it is magic or what _exactly_ it is. I've been trying to research it for years now but haven't found the origin. The fact stays that you're the second person who could jump through dimensions."

She felt like he was pulling her leg. He _had_ to. How was that even possible? Jumping through dimensions? Hah! As if. She was just batshit crazy, it was all just in her head.

"Now tell me how you got here."

It was a story she could tell well by now, so that's what she did. Kaito nodded and wrote down some notes. He had the notepad inside his coat and she wondered if it was Japanese what he wrote down.

"I see. So you're actually not physically here. It's just your mind that wandered."

He seemed deep in thought for a while and Aoko tried to grasp a single coherent thought but she couldn't and she stopped trying.

"I think that's even more dangerous, Aoko. Your body is still in your world while your soul roams in faraway worlds. If your soul is detached from your body for too long, you'll die."

Aoko's mind felt blank. Nothing like when Old-Kaito got the thoughts and doubts out of her mind. Far from that.

"How many times have you done this?"

Aoko lifted her arm and showed him three fingers, unable to form a sentence. Her mind was _blown_. Was this really true? Was she a witch? How could she do that?

"I don't think it makes much sense taking your vitals if it isn't your real body. Let's talk instead, Aoko."

The girl nodded dumbly. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Let me tell you a story."

* * *

Guys! Thank you for your continued support, that's the only thing keeping me going haha reviews really do motivate a lot and not receiving any is quite demoralising but anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. It wasn't very long but Science-Kaito was introduced and next chapter will be about his past and then we'll get to the real fun :D

What do you think, is it in Aoko's head after all? Can she travel through dimensions?

Next chapter on Across the Universe - **Chapter 6 The day she disappeared**


	6. The day she disappeared

**Across the Universe**

 **Chapter 6 The day she disappeared**

It all started with Pandora.

It all ended with Pandora.

Aoko knew this was the end. She had thrown everything away to find the jewel only for it to get snatched right out of her hands.

Her side was throbbing.

This must truly be the end.

Snake looked down on her, grinning, a winning expression on his face.

"At last, Pandora's mine", he said, raising the shining gem into the sky.

* * *

Kaito's father had died when he was still rather young and his mother told him that a deadly disease took his life. That was the moment young Kaito had decided to become a doctor so no other child would have to suffer the same way he had to.

It was a path Kaito followed very meticulously.

He was a straight-A student during elementary and high school. He got into university on first try and all the universities he applied at wanted to have him.

* * *

The day Aoko found out about Kaito's father's murder was the day she found out he wasn't the angel Kaito thought him to be. But Kaito always kept him in the highest regards and strived to be the very best self he could be. Aoko admired him for that.

Until that day Aoko barely had a direction for her live. Her father was a keibu and he was good. But his job had him often away from her and Kaito being Kaito, even if he was a genius, was mostly scooped up and learned.

Aoko had been lonely a lot. She was best friends with Kaito and while he was the voice of reason she was the voice of mischief. She got him out and kept him in shape (he was always chasing her if she said something stupid again).

She thrived on these small interactions with Kaito.

* * *

Most of his life Kaito was only focused on himself and his studies. He wanted to become a doctor no matter the price. He did _everything_ to achieve that goal. That was his path.

Of course, there was his best friend Aoko, as well. Aoko was incredibly chaotic and sometimes he wondered why he was even friends with her.

Kaito was sure that Aoko might become criminal if he didn't keep an eye on her. But that was incredibly exhausting with all his homework and extra studies he did to become the best.

There were times he wished they weren't friends. He loved her – but sometimes he hated her. Sometimes she felt like an obstacle in his path.

* * *

Aoko knew she couldn't possibly tell Kaito about his father. She knew it'd break his heart – unless he didn't believe her which was the second highest possibility.

She knew she was mostly a nuisance to him and it _did_ hurt but he was her only true friend and likewise she was his _only_ friend.

Kaito was never good with people, he always preferred books over them. She was the only one to actively trying to make him socialize, to really get to know him.

Aoko was sure she knew Kaito well.

It was a dangerous path she started walking on but it was a necessary one. Maybe if Kaito's father hadn't died and had his mother not lied to him, maybe things would be different now. But as things stood, they weren't and Aoko realized that this was the path she was supposed to take.

* * *

Kaito's mother always asked him why he didn't do any magic. His father was the greatest magician of all times, after all.

When Kaito was younger he loved doing magic. He loved surprising Aoko with flowers or little tricks he learned. But things changed when his father died and somehow all the magic died right with him.

(Sometimes he hated Aoko for not abandoning magic like he did because if anyone if should be _him_ doing magic since it was _his_ father who was the best magician of the world.)

But Kaito wanted to be needed. He wanted to give something to the world. He wanted to contribute something and once he realized he could never contribute anything being a magician, he gave it up. Besides, being a doctor was his dream – not being a magician.

* * *

Touichi-oji-chan had never really taught her anything. Aoko didn't even like him very much.

She still remembered how he took her and Kaito to magic shows and she remembered how much she loved them. She was always sad since her father could never make it and so it was only Touichi-oji-chan, Kaito and her.

But Kaito was his son and he only taught magic to Kaito. She was only the girl, the friend of his son.

Aoko didn't know if she enjoyed magic more than Kaito did but she was jealous whenever Touchi-oji-chan would show a new trick to Kaito and not her.

Of course, she was glad to be friends with Kaito so she never complained. She never voiced her pain.

And then Touchi-oji-chan died.

* * *

There was a time when Kaito barely talked to Aoko anymore. He still remembered those times well. Today, he regretted them. As a becoming doctor he should have seen the signs.

But Kaito was also studying for entrance exams. He was walking on a clear path, he had a clear goal inside his mind. He knew what he wanted and he would get it.

In retrospect, Kaito knew he was the worst friend he could have been. He never deserved her.

Many years ago there has been a thief. He was a thief in white who'd steal the most peculiar gems the world had to offer.

Many years ago, he suddenly vanished and never returned.

It was an accident, really, the way Aoko found out about who the thief actually was.

She was shocked, really, but when she thought things through, she wondered why no one made the connections themselves.

A renowned magician and a world's best magician thief. How many people could probably do the job? When she found out, things seemed pretty clear.

It was the first night that she donned the white clothes, when she found out about Touichi-oji-chan's murder.

She wanted to tell Kaito about it, she wanted to tell him everything, mostly because she didn't want to bear the burden all on her own.

But she couldn't.

* * *

Kaito didn't like people because they were stupid. To him, they weren't able to solve the simplest math question. He judged those people even though he knew he shouldn't.

It wasn't their fault for being stupid.

He knew Aoko was highly intelligent, as well, not like him, but more intelligent than the rest of the class. But he hated how she wasted all that potential. She could become someone great, someone who could change the world.

She was really great in physics and chemistry not to mention math. She could do something awesome with that. She could try to become a doctor like him. Or she could become a scientist and discover treatments for diseases.

He tried to tell her to go in that direction.

But she never did.

Aoko was also good with her hands and good with tricks and illusions.

* * *

Ever since Touichi-oji-chan died Kaito stopped doing magic. She felt sad because he was good and it always brought a smile to her face. It always made her feel warm.

So when Kaito stopped doing magic and he never smiled anymore, she decided to pick up magic instead.

She hoped if she became as good as Kaito or sometimes later maybe even like Touichi-oji-chan, she could always make people smile.

Later she found out that it was way more beautiful to make people laugh then the other way around.

It was the turning point of her life in her young years.

* * *

Aoko was once again goofing around when they were supposed to be studying for the finals.

Kaito was seriously stressed out, even though he had no reason because he was way ahead of all his lessons but everything was bound to the results he would get.

That's why Kaito was learning like crazy. He wasn't even simply studying their lesson materials but advanced knowledge, as well.

At school, he'd take all the advanced courses he could get. He would stay until late evenings in the library and read and read and read.

So, of course, he was angry when Aoko, instead of learning, distracted him with stupid magic tricks.

(Maybe he hated them so much because he couldn't always see through them, not anymore. Aoko got really good and he had trouble finding out how she did those things. Obviously, he was that genius who'd figure it out in the end but as time continued it always took him a minute longer.)

* * *

Being Kaitou Kid was an incredibly hard thing.

She had to lie to her father, day after day after day after day.

Sometimes, her limbs felt so heavy that she didn't get up in the morning and instead stayed home, faking a fever and/or a sickness.

As time progressed and Kaitou Kid became an integral part of her life, she lost herself. There was Kid and the games he played and there was Aoko but who was Aoko and what did she do?

At the end of high school Kaito and Aoko barely knew each other anymore. Kaito cared too much about his books, about knowledge, about entrance test results to take much notice about Aoko anymore.

She was always the reckless one, he was always the voice of reason but she was 18 now and Kaito didn't feel the need to permanently protect her. Not that he needed to do it that often but he still rather had no part in it anymore.

He was admitted and Kaito couldn't be happier and the feeling didn't last very long.

He started to study over the summer, soon there was not one single book inside the library he hadn't read.

That was mostly how he spent all of his university years.

* * *

Sometimes Aoko wanted to cry.

Sometimes she wanted to give up, run up to Kaito, shake him, scream and rage and cry.

Sometimes she had trouble keeping away from his door to tell him everything.

Sometimes Aoko wanted to give up. Leave this pointless search behind her, forget it and get her life back.

She didn't apply for a university. No one asked. Her father never found out because he was too busy hunting Kid to notice his own deteriorating daughter.

Sometimes she felt angry because his own blood and flesh was not more worth than a stupid thief but then she realized that she was that stupid thief herself and what did it matter?

Sometimes she'd get shot and Aoko would barely make it home, barely patch herself up and barely get on her feet again.

* * *

Kaito met a lot of people during his university years.

People were a lot smarter at uni than they were at school and he liked that. He surrounded himself with people with his intellect and marveled in it.

There was this detective and while he hated all the detective work and the _corpses_ , he wanted to _save_ lives for crying out loud, it helped him deepening his knowledge and actually apply it in the real world.

It didn't take long for the world to recognize their brilliance and Kaito couldn't be any happier.

* * *

Most of the time Aoko spent planning Kid heists. She'd research all the jewels Japan had to offer and sent out heist note after heist note.

It didn't take her long to think of a plan to steal it, not when she always visited her father under the pretext of one thing or the other.

She didn't feel like she _needed_ to have him explain all their security measures but it helped. Since Aoko was working alone, she needed to have a thousand fall back plans she could execute on her own and if knowing what the police planned made her life easier than she didn't mind.

It was after a few years, she had started when she was barely sixteen, that she finally found Pandora.

It was a sapphire, blue like her eyes, shining red like her blood in the moonlight but Snake found her at the same time and she never saw the bullet.

* * *

It was Kaito's first night at the hospital he was doing his internship at. He was known for his knowledge but he had no experience, yet. Still, his brains got him into the surgery room pretty fast.

He was in second year at university and if it weren't for all the extra courses he took, he would have long gotten his degree and started to practice. But Kaito loved to know things and never wanted to stop, so he took some time finishing his degree, all the while learning everything he could.

Nothing, though, not one of those books prepared him for what he found out that night.

It was probably that night that changed him forever.

He always thought there was only one path for him, he always had a clear vision of it. He never strayed from that path and he couldn't say he was unhappy.

So far, he had achieved everything he set his mind to.

This night, though, was not something he ever wanted to experience again.

* * *

When Aoko got shot she thought she died. As it turned out, she didn't.

It was the very first night she traveled through dimensions.

At first, she was terrified because the world she landed in was a terrifying pitch of darkness with dangerous monsters luring in the distance, waiting for her to make a wrong step.

Kaito, though not _her_ Kaito, saved her and she fell in love all over again. This Kaito was someone she could imagine a future with.

But there was the other Kaito, her Kaito, who she was doing all this for.

As much as Aoko fell in love with this Kaito she could never forget her world's Kaito and she never did.

* * *

When the doctors found out Kaito knew the dying girl, they threw him out of the room. He would have tried to fight back but he felt weak.

All of a sudden, his perfect world shattered.

He'd never seen someone in such bad shape. Much less a person he still cared for very much. Deep down he always had but their paths were different ones and while he took care of his career he thought she'd do the same with her life.

Of course, he couldn't have been more wrong in his life.

No one really found out what happened and Aoko ended up in a coma.

* * *

Aoko visited many worlds. All of the worlds had many different kinds of Kaitos and she loved every single one of them.

Some were funny, some were hurt, some were distant, some didn't speak her language, some hated her and some tried to kill her.

It kept her on her toes and trained her body for which Aoko was grateful.

Ever since she had the show down with the Black Organization they were viciously trying to kill her.

Aoko didn't remember how she got out of the pinch and how Pandora ended up with her, after all, but Aoko set her mind to find a way to destroy the gem.

A simple hammer didn't work. The gun didn't break it, either.

Aoko was great with physics and tried her hardest to get rid of it but she never managed.

* * *

After the accident and after Kaito reevaluated his life, he started spending a lot time with Aoko again.

She seemed happy on the outside but he hadn't taken all the courses for nothing. He saw right through her, even through that perfect Poker Face of hers. She was hurting.

That was not the worst, though. Soon enough Kaito found out about various wounds Aoko gathered all the time, the mysterious times she ended in the hospital.

They became a couple and the signs were all the more obvious.

Sometimes, she wouldn't be able to get out of bed.

Sometimes, her eyes were as empty as glass and he got really worried she might try to hurt herself. He even had the fear that those wounds were actually self-afflicted.

Until he got proven wrong.

* * *

Aoko knew getting together with Kaito was a bad, bad decision. But she felt weak and it felt nice to be cared for. It felt nice to wake up next to someone in the mornings. It felt nice not to be the one to tend to her wounds anymore.

But Aoko knew that that happiness couldn't last.

After she had found Pandora, she tried to destroy it – in vain so far. At the same time she tried her hardest to destroy the organization.

But destroying an organization as big and deadly as that one was not an easy task, especially while making sure none of the police officers or bystanders got hurt.

She'd get hurt more often, was forced more often to be more reckless because she was forced into a corner.

Her shows were still as magnificent as ever but she started lacking in performance. She was getting sluggish, let her guard down.

That was when the organization struck out right into her heart.

* * *

Kaito wasn't scared of many things. Fish was on the short list and losing his friends but anything else was not really on it. He wasn't scared of dying, either.

During his time at university Kaito had gathered quite the strong allies and once word got out that the genius doctor got out, he was sure they'd find him in no time.

What he didn't expect, though, was to find out something he never wanted to know.

When they destroyed his perfect picture of his father, he wanted nothing more than to die. But when later Kaitou Kid came to his rescue and he found out that that one was actually his once-best and now girlfriend, he really didn't feel like he could take it.

That night they had a heart to heart and she told him everything she knew.

Aoko told him how she found out about his father and how she wanted to tell him but respected him too much, loved him too much to hurt him like that. Things went on and she told him about the organization, about Pandora, about her abilities.

At first he didn't believe her. It was sorcery, nothing else, but when Aoko took him to one of the worlds he had no choice but to believe her.

He became her personal doctor, checking her vitals every day because it couldn't be healthy spending so much time away, using _magic_.

He helped her in her objective to take down the organization, got her acquainted with his friends.

He only wished things would have stayed like that.

To this day, he still didn't know where she was.

Pandora was gone, his friends took down the organization but there was no trace of Aoko.

* * *

So, in this we covered a bit of Science-Kaito's past. I think I might write a stand-alone story for this Kaito since it's a lot different :D and I'd kind of like to explore it. Also, this chapter is kind of important as it gives an insight to Science-Kaito's character and his motivation. I have big plans for him :D

Anyway, next chapter we'll meet some "old" characters again :D (cause he left that much of an impact on Aoko ;D)

Until then, I'd love if you left some reviews :) I haven't typed the next chapter yet so it might a while this time.


	7. 10 Questions

**Across the Universe**

 **Chapter 7 10 Questions**

So, apparently she wasn't crazy.

Apparently, she wasn't even the first Aoko to travel through worlds.

Maybe it was a trait every Aoko had once they got old enough? Given that Fake-Kaito's Aoko died, maybe she never got the ability because she hadn't lived long enough? Or maybe she had been killed by the ability? Was it even really, really true that it was an _ability_ and not just her mind?

Aoko couldn't really wrap her head around the possibility of something like this. It simply wasn't possible to travel through spaces. And while she never doubted that there surely were more worlds in different dimensions, much like their world, she never thought it to be possible to travel to some of those. Besides, it was highly unlikely that those worlds would have the very same people and mostly even same backgrounds. How could that work?

Of course, she'd heard about parallel universes but to her it was always more fiction than reality. The theory that she simply lost her mind still stood, since she never opened a door to another dimension in the literal way. It was always just in her head.

But then – Science-Kaito told her that _his_ Aoko mostly traveled physically. She only had to think about that world or about that Interdimension and she'd grasp the handle of the door and once she opened it, she literally opened the door to another world – the one she wanted to go to.

Science-Kaito had knocked her out after he told her about it and she woke up in her bed, just like she remembered. She was back in her room, everything was the same and barely an hour passed.

Aoko was still watching her ceiling and wondering who was crazier. She – for thinking all of this up or Science-Kaito for actually believing it. But there was actually a super easy way to prove it, right? She just had to do the physical test. If she successfully opened a literal door to another dimension it would prove his theory right and she could no longer say she was crazy. If she physically disappeared from one world – there was no way she could think that up.

But to be honest, Aoko didn't know which was scarier. The fact that she might be able to do _sorcery_ or that she was crazy. There was only one possibility and she didn't like either of them but at least there was one way to find out which one was true.

Getting up, Aoko took a deep breath. She stopped all thoughts and walk to her door. It was closed, which was good because suddenly she felt really stupid for thinking that this might work. As if she could just open the door and find herself in Fake-Kaito's world.

Grasping the handle and pulling it down, Aoko closed her eyes and silently laughed at herself. Come on. As if Fake-Kaito would look at her once she opened them again. That was just stupid. There was no wa-

"So it was _not_ a dream, after all?"

Aoko's eyes snapped open and she stared open mouthed at Fake-Kaito who was standing right in front of her.

"Are you alright, Aoko?" He watched her with concern showing on his face. "Why are you all bandaged up? What happened?"

It worked.

Well, Science-Kaito was right, after all. Aoko had some weird abilities which allowed her to travel to worlds by just thinking about them. If she thought about that Interdimension she could probably open a door to there, as well and while doing that she could easily discover more worlds. Well. That put things into perspective. According to Science-Kaito she couldn't just wake up to leave those worlds, either. Since she was physically inside the world she'd have to leave physically, as well, in other words she'd have to open a door back to her world.

Closing the door behind her, Aoko leaned against it. She felt faint and she was sure she must be pale like a ghost. Fake-Kaito walked up to her and softly touched her cheek. "Are you alright, Aoko?" he asked again.

She swallowed hard and shook her head slightly. "I'm not sure, actually."

Kaito nodded, took her hand and led her into his kitchen. He made her sit down at one of the barstools and he got her a glass of water.

"Mind telling me what happened?"

Aoko took the glass with thanks on her lips and watched the water inside the glass ripple.

She looked up wide eyed. "Can you believe that I, apparently, have abilities which make it possible for me to open doors to different worlds or dimensions or _whatever_? I mean I _am_ here. Last time it was supposedly just my ghost but right now I'm here with my whole body and I just-"

Kaito sat down next to her and watched her with growing concern. "Well, it _does_ sound weird but then again, you're here. I can clearly see that and I can feel you, I can touch you. I'm certainly not dreaming so, apparently, that ability of yours is real."

"But how is that possible?! I thought I was going crazy and somehow that was more soothing than knowing I'm _not_ going crazy but it's somehow crazier than _going_ crazy. Does that even make any sense?"

Kaito chuckled slightly. "I don't think you're any crazier than you used to be. And what happened to that pretty head of yours? I don't like seeing you hurt." He tapped her bandaged head and Aoko sighed.

"Jeez, you're just like Kaito. Remember when I told you last time how the Kid heist got wrecked and all? It's all the wounds from that time. Obviously, I got hurt from all the glass shards but at least my face will not scar and my arms, well, it should be fine."

Kaito watched her bandaged arms and Aoko didn't know if she liked the look on his face. He didn't look outright angry but there _was_ definitely anger there. She didn't like it when this Kaito was angry, it scared her. It didn't last long, though and soon he smiled again.

"I'm glad you're back, Aoko."

Her heart started pounding inside her chest, a slight blush formed on her face. It was weird hearing _Kaito_ – it didn't matter which one it was, Kaito was Kaito after all and Kaito never made her feel like this – say something like that. Her chest felt all warm and bubbly and it _didn't_ help.

Aoko knew about her feelings for her best friend, she'd known for a while now. Even discovering him being Kid didn't change them. It was mostly her head keeping her distance and even that was getting rather hard day by day. But hearing Kaito – even if it was just this world's Kaito – felt nice. It felt like all those times Kaito teased her and hurt her and made her feel self-conscious never happened, like her heart healed just like that. It felt nice being treated with love once in a while.

"You're blushing", Kaito exclaimed, surprised and smiled wider.

Averting her gaze, Aoko bit her lip.

"It's cute, you know? It's been way too long since I last saw it."

It was probably the first time she consciously felt this warm feeling spread through her chest. Her father was mostly concerned with Kid and when will Kid strike next and what does his riddled message mean. And Kaito was – well, now she knew that he was always preparing heists – unavailable and if he wasn't he was mostly mean. She always teased him back, got revenge in the form of punishing him with fish. Somehow, this Kaito couldn't be any more different from her world's Kaito and somehow, she liked it very much.

"I'm glad to be here", she mumbled, her face going stark red, making her heart beat wildly inside her chest.

Kaito grinned happily and jumped to his feet. "How about I show you the rest of my apartment? You only saw the first floor, last time, right? Do you want to see the rest?"

Aoko nodded and stood up as well. "Lead the way."

Kaito took her hand and pulled her along towards the stairs in the living room. "Ok, so you know my living room. Now, let's go up. Don't fall."

There was nothing to grasp, only single steps so if she were to take a wrong step she might fall down and Aoko shook her head. It might look aesthetic but wasn't it impractical? Wasn't it easier to have something to hold so you don't fall? What if he was sick one day and didn't make it upwards? But then again, he could simply stay in his living room, couldn't he?

When they got up, Aoko gasped. The room was a single, gigantic room only divided by glass doors. On her right was probably Kaito's bedroom what with having his bed and some wardrobes and on the other side were shelves upon shelves filled with all the various books. In the middle a grand piano stood and there were different cases aligned along the wall. Aoko was sure there must be a guitar or bass guitar and probably some violins or cellos. She didn't know for sure because she wasn't much of a musician but she wasn't stupid. There were also other shelves but when she got closer she realized they needed a lot of dusting so Kaito probably didn't use them anymore?

"This is honestly amazing, Kaito. Do you play the piano? What instruments do you play?"

She turned to him watching her from the entrance. She sat down at the piano and started playing one or two simple melodies she knew from piano practice at school. She'd always wanted to learn to play but her father never agreed and she never pushed it. But now that she was here she wished she had.

She felt Kaito behind her, leaning over her and adding some notes to the melody she was playing. She felt herself blush at the proximity to him. He was so close she felt his warm and steady body at her back. This Kaito was quite bold, wasn't he? She wasn't a stranger to closeness to a Kaito but this was on another level entirely. Not that she disliked it or anything.

She made room on the stool she was sitting on and Kaito sat down next to her. It felt really nice playing together with him. He seemed a natural talent since he probably didn't know the melody but was able to add harmonic notes on the spot. Aoko knew Kaito was smart – her Kaito was – but it was probably something which was the same in every world. Though, she'd be very thrilled to meet a Kaito who for once wasn't as intelligent. What would he be like, huh?

When Aoko didn't know how to continue the melody, she stopped and Kaito took over. He started playing a rather hard but very melancholic melody she instantly loved. She'd never heard anyone play with so many emotions before. It was breathtaking.

She watched him with amazement shining in her eyes when he finished the song and turned towards her.

"Yes, I do play."

"Professionally? Is that what you learned? Tell me more about you, Kaito."

The boy smiled mysteriously and Aoko blushed once more. "I want to know more about you, too. Let's play a game, Aoko."

She nodded eagerly. "Sure. What game?"

Kaito took her hand and pulled her along with him. He went into his bedroom and sat on his bed. Aoko flushed red and shook her head.

"I don't know Kaito, I think I'd much rather prefer a more neutral room."

Kaito grinned knowingly. "Oh, does Aoko-chan have dirty thoughts?"

The girl spluttered in embarrassment. "Of course not! It's just that y-you're a guy and I'm a girl and even though you're a Kaito and look like the Kaito I know, I don't know _you_ and maybe it's worse that I feel like I _do_ know you because the one you remind me of is actually the guy I really, really like and oh my god why did I just tell you that?"

Aoko hid her face in her hands and wished she'd die. This was so embarrassing. How could she simply _confess_?

She heard Kaito stand up and pull her hands away from her face. He put his finger under her chin and lifted her head up so she would see him. He smiled softly and she felt like melting. She loved this smile. It was so full of love and happiness she didn't think she could ever go without it anymore.

"So, consequently, you really, really like me, too and are too scared to wit with me on my bed because you're afraid you would jump me?"

Aoko felt on fire. Really, there must be fire all around her judging from her burning face. Could he be any blunter?

His eyes were the very same azure color that Kaito's were. That was probably another trait that was always the same. She loved that color. It was blue like the sky or blue like the sea and she loved both. There was a depth inside his eyes, secrets and pain, she was sure, but a depth that drew her in and if her face wasn't still burning as though her skin would peel of soon, she'd have lost herself inside of them.

"I will _not_ jump you!" she screamed, swatted his hand away and fled downstairs, his laughter following her. She wished he'd shup up and her face would stop burning like that. What was that even?

She went back into the kitchen because that was safe territory (he _was_ right, Kaito was really hot, after all and _this_ Kaito was even hotter because he was older, rougher around the edges and she really didn't want to think how that turned her on) but it wasn't like she'd simply _jump_ him. He was nice to her, kind. It was different from her Kaito who was so brash. She would never simply jump _her_ Kaito just because she was sitting with him on his bed. But that was because her Kaito was different. With this Kaito – ah well, it was inappropriate, anyway, wasn't it?

Kaito was still laughing when he came back down and sat down next to her.

Aoko was pouting and stuck out her tongue. "You're stupid."

Kaito flicked her nose affectionately and watched her. "Tell me about him."

Wearily, Aoko turned her head towards him and watched him, waiting for some form of attack. "Who? Kaito?"

Kaito nodded and smiled encouragingly. "Yeah. What's he like? Also, the game I wanted to propose is called ten questions. I get to ask you ten questions and you get to ask ten as well. We'll change turns."

"Just ten? I think I have a thousand."

"No, we'll prepare ten questions for every time you come here."

"But what if I can't?"

"Then it'll be a reason for you to find a way to come visit me, right? Unless you don't want to visit me anymore?"

"Since you're making fun of me I'll think about coming back here. You are really rude, you know? Walking in on me in the bathroom, suggesting such _inappropriate_ things as getting into your bed – _with you_."

"The thoughts were all yours, A-o-ko-chan." He said flirtatiously.

"Did you just _flirt_ with me?"

He pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and traced her cheek with his finger. "I wouldn't call it that, my dear. Alright. Ask your first question."

She'd never heard Kaito speak in such a sensual voice. Was that even possible? Damn, she felt so damn attracted to this Kaito, to his voice, to his touch. It felt so much like a dream, like so many dreams she had where Kaito was nice to her and touched her and made her scream his name and damn bad thoughts, abort, abort.

She flushed and turned her head away because once she looked into his eyes, she was sure he trapped her inside of them. How that was even possible, she didn't know. She'd never felt like _that_ whenever she was close to Kaito but her Kaito never flirted with her or whatever this Kaito was doing, anyways.

"Do you love her?" she blurted out without thinking and bit her tongue after she realized what she just asked. She watched him out of her corner, felt him stiffen next to her and regretted her question very much.

"I do." His voice felt stricken and curt and she wished she could take it back. "Still?"

"Ah, ah, just one question. Now, it's my turn."

Aoko turned towards him and shut her mouth. "What is your favorite color?"

Aoko raised both her eyebrows. Was he for real? "Blue." She answered and wondered why he wanted to know.

"Are you a magician?" Because wasting one question on wondering why he'd ask such a question was stupid. She'd much rather know how many similarities there.

"I was."

"You were? Aren't you anymore?"

"That's a question for the next turn, Aoko-chan."

The girl pouted but nodded impatiently, motioning for him to continue. He chuckled slightly and bend his face a little. "What musicians do you like?"

Such mundane questions. "Ah, I don't know if they exist here as well. Ah but hmm you know, I love the Ghibli soundtrack. I need to show it to you if you haven't listened to it, I mean if there is no such thing in this world. There's this one track I'd love to dance to once."

She had a dreamy look on her face thinking about the music she always envisioned Kaito to take her hand and dance with her. It was a waltz rhythm and even though she couldn't dance, this was something she'd love doing.

"Alright, next question." Kaito interfered but before he could continue the bell rang. He looked up in surprise and went to answer the door. Aoko silently followed him, never thinking about the possibility that it might be bad if people saw her who actually knew she was dead in this world.

When Kaito opened the door and realized who was visiting him, he growled in annoyance and pushed the door closed, only the visitor put a foot between the door and the doorframe and pushed the door open.

"Nice to see you, too, Kuroba. Let me in, we have things to discuss."

Aoko peeked around the corner and gasped when she realized the guy looked _just_ like Kaito. He didn't have such unruly hair and hif cae was more angular but if she didn't know Kaito as well as she did, she might have mixed them up.

The newcomer looked up sharply and frowned. " _Aoko_?!"

* * *

Thank you for your reviews, people :D It's the only reason I keep publishing this thing xD

This one is rather short, next one will be much longer again.

Though, I have to say since seemigly not many people actually read this story, I'll slow updates to once monthly. If I get more reviews I'll update sooner but yeah, expect the next one for the end of September or early October, depending on how soon I'll finish my degree and be back from Japan.

I appreciate reviews.


	8. The Stranger

**Chapter 8 The stranger**

"Uhm – that-" Aoko started, wanting to say that yes, that was true, her name was Aoko and how did he know her when Kaito interrupted her.

Kaito looked at her sharply and stepped in front of her to cover the girl from the man's view. "Get the fuck out, you asshole," he growled dangerously.

"Who is that, Kuroba?! Who's the girl?!"

Aoko wondered why Kaito was so hostile. Somehow, this guy looked familiar but it could have been the fact that he looked so much like Kaito. But then again, he seemed to know her, maybe? Was she, then, maybe supposed to know him too?

Pursing her lips, Aoko made a step to the side, to watch the foreigner with curious eyes. Just like Kaito he looked rough at the edges, dangerous and angry. His eyes swept to her and she jumped a step back. He looked – angry, or well, furious maybe and maybe it wasn't directed at her but he was staring at her and –

"What have you done, _Kuroba_?!" the Kaito-lookalike demanded in a very low and dangerous voice.

"For fuck's sake, Kudo, get the fucking hell out of here or I'll make you and you –" Kaito turned towards Aoko, pushing her out of the way. "go home!"

Shaking her head even though she neither knew this Kaito nor this Kudo guy but she wanted to know who it was, how did he know her? It was as the saying went – curiosity killed the cat and yeah, Aoko was pretty sure, this would definitely kill her one day – or today maybe.

"Who _is_ she, Kuroba?!"

"Nakamori Aoko. My name is Nakamori Aoko. I'm not from here, actually, and it sounds crazy and you won't believe me so maybe you should just forget you ever saw me." Aoko hurriedly answered for Kaito before the latter turned around sharply, seething in rage before he furiously pushed her behind him.

"I won't let you harm her, Kudo. Never again. Now _fuck_ off."

Aoko bit her tongue because she wasn't easily scared but this Kaito had this dangerous air around him so maybe it was wiser to just keep her mouth shut for now. Because actually she didn't like being manhandled like that – what was he even thinking? Maybe what he needed was a mop to the head but then again –

"Nakamori Aoko", that Kudo guy breathed as if in wonder until his tone got a dangerous edge. "What the _fuck_ have you done, Kuroba?"

 _Ugh, oh no, Kaito didn't do anything wrong._

Because this was Kaito and no matter what world Kaito was from, Aoko couldn't imagine he'd ever do something – ah well, but he was also Kaitou Kid and Kid was an internationally wanted criminal.

 _Ugh shut up, I don't wanna think about_ that.

Hurrying around Kaito and stopping in front of him, just between the two guys, Aoko took a deep breath.

"Look, it's really, _really_ complicated. If Kaito doesn't want you in his apartment then we could talk somewhere else just – this thing really isn't on Kaito."

She wanted to look strong and confident, the woman she was protecting someone dear to her but then she saw the look in this stranger's eyes.

"Ah…"

Watching her as if he was seeing a ghost or seeing her for the first time, Aoko wasn't sure what it was he looked like, he raised his hand, slowly, as if unsure of what he was doing and what he should and shouldn't do. All the anger and aggression had left his body and all that was left was sorrow and an unhidden _longing_ in his expression. Aoko couldn't quite place _what_ he longed for but she wondered if she could fulfill it somehow. His fingers were warm and rough when he gently touched her cheek before Kaito forcefully pushed him back.

"Don't touch her!" he bellowed and pushed Aoko back behind him. "Get out, Kudo, before I blow a hole in that dumb head of yours."

Aoko stood stupefied, frozen to her bones by his touch – and that wasn't even Kaito. She wondered why she felt so affected by a small touch like that by a man she didn't know.

A loud bang brought her back into reality and she looked up in time to see Kaito to stump against the now closed door. He must have pushed it closed – rather roughly in that.

Raising his head, the boy looked straight at Aoko and Aoko shivered from the intensity with which he was watching her. He looked like predator for a second before worry seeped in and out of him, making him sag in relief.

"Are you ok?" he asked softly and that was back her Kaito, just like the Kaito she knew from just now before they'd been interrupted, just like her world's Kaito – the very same Kaito she'd known all her life. The soft one, the one with too many feelings he felt the need to suppress, the one who'd valued her life more than his own. This was the Kaito she fell in love with and wouldn't let go again. Never again.

Nodding, she went up to him and caressed his cheek softly, smiling. "I am. You needn't worry so much."

He looked tired when Kaito bend down to her, grasping her hand on his cheek and pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "You don't know this world, Aoko. It had taken you away from me once. I cannot let that happen again."

His voice sounded grave, graver than she'd ever heard him sound and she shuddered in feelings unknown to her.

"Kudo might look nice enough but he's not, Aoko. He took you away once, I won't let him again. Promise me not to ever get close to him, Aoko."

The girl swallowed hard. The Kudo guy looked nice enough but true – what did she know about this world he'd grown up in and she just stumbled upon? She may believe to know this place but it was just an illusion. It was a delusive feeling she was wrapped in. A dangerous illusion that might kill her if she wasn't careful enough.

"Alright."

Kaito sighed and put his forehead to her. It should have been wrong, too close too soon, a feeling that should have made her push him away from her and yet – Aoko couldn't help but drown in the depth of his eyes. She'd always been prisoner to these beautiful, wonderful eyes she'd never ever not in a million years forget.

She felt warm, safe, cared for – loved. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, how much she reveled in this false sense of security she shouldn't feel. It felt harder, every second harder, to discern her Kaito from this Kaito who was pretty much the same person only different but the differences were disappearing bit by bit and she couldn't stop herself from falling deeper and deeper, more in love with this person named Kuroba Kaito.

Only when Kaito dove in for a kiss did Aoko turn her head away because _damn,_ kissing? Cheeks red in embarrassment, Aoko stuttered her way out of his tender hug.

"Uhm, w-well. I-I think I should go, Kaito."

Looking up with still burning cheeks, she found Kaito grinning down at her, back to his over confident know-it-all jerk self.

"Oh, what a shame."

Did his voice just drop a beat or two? Sultry Kaito was _bad_ , she needed to get out, _now_.

"And just when the game was getting interesting."

True, pouting, Aoko remembered the game they had been playing, ten questions. It had been interesting and maybe they she finish this round but when she looked into his eyes she wondered if she'd be able to withstand him any longer.

The look in Kudo's eyes had her strangely affected, feeling the need to touch, to _feel_ and she wasn't sure she wouldn't show Kaito just _how_ much she needed some physical contact to ease that pain that was growing inside her. And while that pain was not sexual in any way, she couldn't say for sure it wouldn't end in that.

"Uhm, next time – next time you can have the rest of today's questions, how about that?" She smiled nervously, hopefully convincing Kaito to just let her go before she decided to do something she might regret later. And why did she feel on edge like that anyway? Like a high school girl on hormones – oh well, if she wasn't one she didn't know _what_ she was.

There was this insatiable expression in his eyes and Aoko would have fallen for that, for that warmth, and love when a voice hadn't yelled in that moment.

"Oi Kuroba, open the _fucking_ door or I'll kick it in!"

It sounded like that Kudo guy and Kaito instantly lost his playful grin and growled.

"Alright Aoko, go home and don't come back for a day or two."

Aoko pursed her lips because actually she wanted to know how this stranger knew her, what his story was and why Kaito hated him so much – did this Kudo guy kill this world's Aoko and even if, she wanted to know all the more.

But when there was a bang at the door, a way too loud bang, a bang like the threat the guy made of kicking the door in, Aoko realized maybe right now wasn't the right time to talk about it. Also, hadn't she promised Kaito she wouldn't meet this person again?

Sighing, Aoko nodded and turned to leave. "Don't get hurt, Kaito."

He tried his best smile but even then he couldn't convince her and Aoko _really_ wanted to know what their relationship was but right now, she decided to leave before something bad happened.

Ok so, how did she get home though? She got here through the door in her room so maybe if she went through the same door thinking about her room she might end up there again?

Stopping in front of Kaito's bathroom door, Aoko closed her eyes and focused hard on the elements in her room.

 _Please work, please work. Bring me back home._

She pushed the handle, opened the door and stepped through it. There was a shift in the air, or maybe not the air, maybe it was just her body, making the small hairs on her arms stand tall and when she opened her eyes she found herself looking at her window.

Looking at her ceiling, Aoko realized that _she was back_. As in, it had worked. She was back in her room because that had been what she'd been thinking about when going through that door at Fake-Kaito's. It baffled her that it actually worked, that Science-Kaito was right all along and she not only made it to Fake-Kaito's at will but also back. She _did_ need an actual physical door close by but that was the smallest problem, really. But the possibilities – all the possibilities it gave her, they were _endless_. She remembered the endless doors in the Interdimension and if she could easily travel to those dimensions, given that they were all different dimensions, then – Aoko was struck speechless at all the worlds she might get to explore. No more a boring second in her life. If she didn't want to see her Kaito, she'd just go to Fake-Kaito's and have fun with him. If she ever got hurt or ill, she could go to Science-Kaito and he could easily take care of her. He was a doctor, after all.

Grinning like a maniac, she shoved the worry about Fake-Kaito to the back of her mind and turned around. There were many more worlds for her to explore and not enough time, so better start early than late.

The Interdimension was as dark and still as she remembered it and Aoko walked to the next best door she could reach. She felt anticipation run through her hoping to learn more and more.

Taking a deep breath, Aoko walked through the door with a smile.

And then she opened her eyes to screaming and then a loud bang and fire and pain and nothing.


	9. War-Kaito

**Chapter 9 War-Kaito**

"-up! Oi! Wake up!"

Noise and pain surrounded her when Aoko came to herself again.

"Shit!"

She felt a throb in her head, a throb getting worse and worse and heard static all around her. Someone spoke some words but they felt distorted, too far away to be meant for her.

"…can't possibly leave …er here. …looks like Aoko! _…won't_ leave her!"

Slowly opening her eyes, she blinked once, then twice to clear her vision. There was only grey and nothing, noise and numbed thrumming in her body.

"Hey!"

Something touched her, probably, with her mind still as fuzzy she wasn't too sure and maybe some time past and maybe not but her mind cleared after an indeterminable time period.

"Can ya hear me? _Aoko_?"

It was a female voice. A clear and bright voice she'd never heard before.

She blinked again, tried to get the view she saw connect with her brain and understand what was going on.

"Nngh."

She wanted to say _yes_ , perhaps – maybe she wanted to say something else. She wasn't sure.

There was this woman and all around her was nothing but grey.

And then the pain hit her, making her gasp in shock. She shut her eyes tightly in pain, bit her lip in agony and tried har not to scream. Weird, how the brain truly was connected to the rest of the body – and how belatedly some things were transported.

"Shit. I know it hurts. _Shit._ You gotta pull yarself together, Aoko. We gotta leave this place. Shit, shit, shit."

There was some radio noise Aoko barely heard and more cussing from the girl.

"What tha hell do ya want me to do, Heiji? I will _not_ leave her here. Enemy or not. What if Aoko survived? You never found a body. She might as well be still alive, _aho_!"

"Ya idiot! If ya'r blown ta itsy bitsy tiny pieces, of course you don' fin' a damn body! Come back _right now_. It's an order!"

"Shove yar damn order where the light doesn't shine. _Gah_!"

Aoko tried to breathe, in and out, in and out, trying to block it out as best she could. There was impatience in the girl's voice and a hint of urgency she hadn't picked out before. They needed to leave. Given how that other voice wanted the girl to abandon Aoko and leave, Aoko needed to swallow the pain and get up _now_ if she wanted to survive.

"Alright, Aoko? Can ya hear me? I know ya'r in pain but we need ta get away from here. Now. I will get yar feet free but ya gotta help me, alright?"

Aoko nodded and bit her lip again, shit pain getting worse again.

"I got some pain killers on me, just live through this, will ya?"

Aoko shut her eyes tightly again, balling her hands into fists and waiting for the inevitable pain to come. Her mind still felt too fuzzy to know what was going on. She went through another door, a new dimension she hasn't been through before and then there had been this loud bang – an explosion? She couldn't remember anything else besides the pain and static she'd been hearing ever since she found consciousness again. There was this girl who didn't want to abandon her and apparently knew her? There was another voice, maybe male, she wasn't too sure, who told her to leave her behind and get the hell out of the place.

"Shit, Kaito will kill me for this. And then Heiji's gonna bring me back just ta kill me again." The girl muttered under her breath.

And then the pain erupted again and Aoko screamed. But soon the heat vanished and only a steady throbbing stayed.

"I'm sorry, Aoko. Let's go now."

Aoko was still out of it when she was heaved to her feet only to fall back down because her legs weren't supporting her at all – and straining her left leg also seemed like a bad idea as the pain came back tenfold in just one second.

"Shit, sorry, Aoko. Can ya stand? Somehow?"

Aoko tried to get her mind work again. There was just too much fog still. She heard the words and she felt the pain and it was clearing her mind well but also there was the pain and she couldn't grasp a single thought. God, she was so damn useless.

She tried to stand because that was the only possible thought in her mind right now and she put both her legs on the floor again, trying to stand but then a hot, piercing pain spread through her leg through her whole body making black dots appear in her vision – until there was only darkness.

"Shit, _shi-"_

* * *

"Too _bad_. I'm with 'er now. Watcha wanna do, _Heiji_? I'll stay with 'er 'ere and we'll go back tomorrow. Her leg looks _bad_ , I'd _much_ rather had her treated right _now_ , too, _aho_."

"God Kazuha, I swear ta God. Aoko is _dead_. That girl? She's our _enemy_ , aho. I'll have Kuroba pick ya up right now."

"Don't be fucking crazy, Heiji! That's suicide and ya know it. We're fine here – besides, if the girl does something I'll kill 'er first anyway. No way in hell can she move looking like that."

"What if she's a new experiment?"

"I thoroughly checked her. She is wounded, has wounds that are a few days old but no experimentations visible. Anyway, she hit her head pretty badly, she'll be out of it for a while longer. Now leave me be, _aho_."

"Oi, Kazu-"

"Eh, are you awake? Aoko?"

It was a weird exchange of words. At first, Aoko thought she was still sleeping. Then she thought that this must be some kind of movie until she realized she felt too much pain for it to be anything but reality. The pain was dulled, much more bearable than before but it was still there, thrumming just under her skin.

Opening her eyes, she saw nothing but darkness until her eyes adjusted and a face shoved itself in front of her.

"Ya look better. How do ya feel?"

"Mh. As if a house fell down on me."

"Hehe close enough."

Her mind felt much less groggy than before and Aoko was able to take her surroundings into account for the first time.

"Where are we?" her words were still slurred a bit but she was happy she could get out understandable words at all.

"This?" The girl raised her eyebrows in question. "Ya don't know where this is?"

Aoko shook her head as best as she could while lying on the floor and then she tried to get up slowly. The girl made room for her but put her hands under Aoko's back and pushed her up softly, leaning her against what must be a wall. It was cold and hard, with dust covering everything around her.

"Watch out, ya'r badly concussed. Ya also lost kinda a lot of blood. I was able to stop the bleeding and I wrapped yar leg but I don't think ya'll be able to walk for some time. Take it easy."

Aoko nodded and looked around herself. It looked like she was in an abandoned ruin – but ruins usually were abandoned, right? There were some walls, some broken walls, a lot of debris and the only source of light seemed to be of the moonlight shining through the big opening in the wall. This must have been a building, once, many years ago. There also seemed to be leaves on the floor, thousands upon thousands dead and dry leaves. She didn't see any plants or trees but they must be there, somewhere around them.

"What's yar name?"

The view was actually quite pretty. There was dust particles dancing in the wind, illuminated by the moonlight and if she felt better and was here with Kaito, she might have even considered this as romantical. But this was neither her worlds nor was this in any way romantical.

"Nakamori Aoko" she said without thinking before a gun was pushed to her face.

"Alright, I knew a _Aoko_ , many years ago but that girl died and I cannot see how ya could be her. So I'm asking again. Who are _ya_?"

Aoko remembered she needed to be more careful when traveling because of course these people couldn't know and if the Aoko of this world was dead, too –

"It – it's kind of complicated and I'm sure that you won't believe me. It _is_ unbelievable in every aspect but still the truth. I _am_ Nakamori Aoko but not the one you knew. If she died some years ago? Then she's dead and I'm sorry for your loss. I'm not _her_ but I am _one_ Aoko of one of the many parallel worlds."

The gun was shoved in her face. "Ya'r right. I don't fucking believe one single word ya said."

"Yeah." Aoko laughed helplessly. "It _is_ unbelievable. It's just that it's the truth. I don't know what else to tell you. I don't know you, I _do_ know Kaito and I have this weird ability to travel worlds. You mentioned Kaito before. Kuroba Kaito, am I right?"

The gun was loaded with an incredibly loud klick and Aoko swallowed. She was blabbing out too many things, too many things that were the wrong things to say.

Suspicion spread through the girls face but she didn't look too hostile. She just didn't seem to know what to think, what to do.

"How do you know Kaito?"

Aoko turned her head sideways and watched how the dust swirled in the wind. It was pretty, interesting to see dust glitter in some light.

"I could tell you everything about Kaito. But I highly doubt it'll all apply to your Kaito, too. I met three other Kaito's by now and all of them couldn't be any more different. It's weird, isn't it? How we all are seemingly connected, our fates intertwined across the universe and yet we are so different."

She wondered if it was the concussion speaking and decided that yes, that must be it. She was hardly ever metaphorical or dreamy or anything like that – she was only pragmatical and going by facts.

"Ya'r babbling strange things. Let's just assume what ya said is tha truth. Whadaya want here?"

Aoko smiled slightly and shook her head. "To be honest, nothing really. I was curious about different worlds, I wanted to see more and so I tried this one. I just kind of ended here. I _would_ like to meet this world's Kaito though."

The girl grimaced and lowered the gun. "Trust me, ya _don'_ wanna meet Kaito. Especially now. Though I _do_ admit it's my fault. I shouldn't have disobeyed him but I also couldn't let ya die and in case what ya said is true, I would have let some innocent girl die. My, I'm glad I didn't."

The girl shoved herself back and rested against the corner wall, never letting Aoko out of her sight. She didn't trust her, Aoko could tell but at least she wasn't threatened with a gun anymore.

"But don' worry. Kaito will _me_ first and _then_ he will kill ya. Unless ya can convince me ya'r truly from another world and _then_ I can come back from the dead and I can convince _him_."

Aoko sighed. What a messed-up world. Kaito killing someone even if it was partly joking? Unimaginable.

"Though maybe he wouldn't kill ya _right_ away. Ya'r too much like her."

A thoughtful look fell upon that girl's face, pondering things Aoko couldn't imagine.

"What's your name? Mind telling me?"

The girl looked up, quite confused and then pondering some more. "Mah, I guess there's no bad in telling ya my name, is there? Name's Kazuha."

"Just … Kazuha?"

"Yeah. That should be enough for the beginning. In case yar an enemy which I still haven't fully ruled out, I cannot tell ya too much, yano?"

"Well, as I said before. I'm Aoko, Kazuha-san."

" _…san_. What tha hell? What's that supposed to mean?"

At the hostile tone, Aoko raised her hands in innocence and hastily tried to explain. "I'm sorry. I just assumed you are used to the same customs as I. In my culture we use these to show respect and there are different variations as there are different levels of respect you can show another person – be it your friends, teachers or boss. Putting _san_ at the end of the name is the standard polite way of addressing a person I am not good friends with."

"Eh?" Kazuha lit up. "Is that so? Geez, that's interesting, too bad we don't have that here. Maybe I can introduce that system at our place too. ' _Kazuha-san. Kazuha-san.'_ My, that sounds great."

Aoko grinned and laughed quietly. "Nah, _san_ is quite impersonal. You should have everyone call you _Kazuha-sama_. That's more like your majesty."

Kazuha's eyes lit up and a diabolical grin spread through her face. "Now, that sound nice, doncha think?"

Aoko wondered if maybe she shouldn't have told her but then again, what bad was there in telling her such small details of a culture she'd never get to know.

Suddenly, there were scratching noises and both froze to silence.

Kazuha jumped to her feet like a panther, quiet and agile and terrifying – something Aoko had never seen before. Terrifying and gracile.

Kazuha put a finger to her mouth indicating for Aoko to keep quiet while she walked to the open half wall through which the moonlight was casting its light.

There was scratching noise and some howling if Aoko didn't know any better. She didn't but it really sounded like howling but it sounded far enough away for them to escape if it really came down to it but then her look fell upon her legs and she started wondering about that.

Was it just the wind? But it didn't pick up so it couldn't be that unless she'd been so out of it that she just realized the noises. But Kazuha heard it too.

" _Shit_." The girl screamed while simultaneously jumped back a few feet when _something_ grabbed for her and Aoko's heart stilled. Was this what a heart attack felt like? When it stopped and she couldn't breathe because the panic was overtaking her mind and body, immobilizing her to do _nothing_.

Kazuha came sprinting back to Aoko and squatted down instantly. "We need ta leave."

Something was crawling up the wall and through the open wall and Aoko wondered if she ended in some bad horror movie? What the _hell_ was that?

Kazuha put an arm around Aoko's middle and hoisted her up. Aoko heavily leaned on the other girl, only having one leg to support her weigh on and with a throbbing and concussed head, she couldn't keep upright on her own.

Kazuha shot that thing that was crawling their way, howling like a dead thing – animal maybe, a small degenerated bear?

The shots stopped the thing for a second, enough time for Kazuha to pull Aoko through the unhinged door way onto the small corridor. There was darkness, walls obscuring the moonlight so no light fell inside and Aoko had difficulties seeing where they were going.

No being able to _see_ Aoko stumbled and had it not been for Kazuha's tight grip around her, she would have fallen.

"Shit. We don't have much time. That one must be dead but I saw more of them coming. Can ya walk?"

Aoko shook her head because she hardly could call it walk and walking in darkness over uneven grounds was suicide.

"A door." She hastily said. "I need a door and I can get us out of it."

There was growling coming from the room where they just had been in and Aoko stiffened in fear. It didn't sound very friendly and neither did it seem small.

"A _door_. Are ya kidding me?"

"Look, I have no interest in dying and I doubt you do. I'm not your enemy. And I'm eternally happy for you not leaving me back there. Now find me a door and I'll get us out of here. Promise."

The growling was getting closer and as she heard the heavy growls she heard more scratching like claws scratching on the ground. Maybe a big cat? Well, that would be very bad.

"Alright. We are kinda sittin' in a trap anyway."

Kazuha hoisted her back up and dragged her to another corridor, then turned to a different side. Aoko didn't see anything and hoped Kazuha had some super human powers and _could_ see but with how she was gracefully navigating without further problems, Aoko doubted she _didn't_ have some powers.

A shot sounded behind them, reverberating through the ruins in the building, making Aoko's ears ring again.

" _Shit_." Kazuha swore and pushed them along faster. "I can deal with a wounded and some degenerated animals. I _cannot_ deal with _them_ , too."

Aoko panicked. If this girl who looked so relaxed all the time, so gracile and dangerous was running away from something, it must be _bad_. As in – very bad.

Heart beating to her throat, Aoko tried to wobble as fast as she could, ignoring the pain that was continuously spreading through her weary body. Suddenly they stopped with Kazuha pushing her whole body weight to pin Aoko to the wall and covering her mouth with her hand.

"Psht" she whispered into her ear. "Don't say a word."

It was dark enough for anyone who was going after them to not see them but if Kazuha was able to see in this darkness, Aoko highly doubted those people couldn't. She was scared, with her heart pounding in her chest and she wondered if someone could hear it with how loud it was beating, transporting burning blood though her veins.

She heard the footsteps, small and light and barely audible but it was there and since there was absolutely no other sounds around them, the silence felt suffocating, every inhale seemed too loud for their sakes.

When the footsteps came closer and closer, Aoko stopped breathing, stopped making any sounds possible and then the hand around her mouth was replaced with nothing and as fast as Kazuha had pushed her against the wall, she was outside the wall opening they just came through.

She counted one, two, three shots, echoing in the silence and wondered if maybe it were actually more than just three bullets.

Then – silence.

Not being able to keep it in anymore, Aoko took a deep for her ears way too loud breath in the oncoming silence.

Where was Kazuha? She didn't hear any more footsteps, no wind, no gun shots. Nothing.

"Kazuha?" she whispered into the silent darkness and only an echo responded.

 _Shit_.

Did she get hurt? Get shot?

Heart beating a few more beats faster than before, she was sure she'd die of a heart attack now what with her heart beating way too fast. And then there were silent footsteps again Aoko barely heard and then there was the hand around her mouth again. For a second she panicked until the same earthy smell surrounded her, making her realize it was her new somewhat friend.

Another pair of footsteps resounded and she knew they had no more time. They needed to find a door – now. Kazuha couldn't have an infinite amount of bullets and since Aoko wasn't sure the girl was fine, she couldn't rule out her not being able to fight anymore. They needed to leave this place, right now.

 _Door_ she tried to mouth with her lips only, no tone leaving her but she needed to make the girl keep looking for a door. She needed Kazuha to go because her footsteps were light and barely audible – if at all. In contrast to Kazuha Aoko was as loud as an elephant, just her breathing was giving them away for kilometers.

Then her hand was grabbed – probably by Kazuha – and was curled around something round and cold and solid – a door handle. A damn door handle. Aoko felt like celebrating. It was everything she needed, a door handle she could open with her powers – no matter if the door actually worked or not (she hoped). There was a second of confusion – where was she supposed to take them? when the footsteps became too loud and she just opened the door, jumping inside and pulling Kazuha out of the hail of bullets starting behind them.

* * *

What greeted them was sudden silence and light and pain – Kazuha was lying on top of Aoko, the latter winding in pain on the floor.

"Aoko?!" came the incredulous sounding voice from above her, worry and confusion mixed in too. "And – Kazuha-chan?"

Kazuha instantly jumped up, leaving Aoko lying in a heap on the floor before the rattled girl turned on her back and winced at how her whole body hurt way too much now. Maybe it was too much. First, she fell through how many floors through cutting glass, then she got attacked in Fake-Kaito's world, then she got hurt in that girl's world and now she fell through the portal into Science-Kaito's world – and why was it Science-Kaito even? Her own world would have been the best. But then again, Kaito can easily take care of her wounds, get her better again and she wouldn't have to answer weird questions from doctors in her own world. Though she _would_ have to answer questions at home as to why she was as damaged as she was and as of yet she had no plausible answers.

Growling in pain, she looked up to see Kazuha in a ready-to-pounce stance and Kaito kind of stupefied changing his look between Aoko and Kazuha.

"I think I'm dying. Can – perhaps – someone help me up? Patch me up? I think I broke a rib or two." She whined – more to discharge the heavy atmosphere than really feeling like that. Her body _did_ hurt and her head throbbed painfully and her leg sure was broken in different places but all in all she was still alive. That was some good stats.

Kazuha visibly relaxed but didn't move a muscle until Kaito bend down and picked up Aoko bridal style.

"You can follow me, Kazuha-chan. Are you fine so far? I will get Aoko treated then I can take care of you. Or I can have Shiho take care of you if you'd like. She's a good friend of mine, a brilliant doctor."

Aoko leaned on Kaito and watched above his shoulder. The other girl relaxed more and more but the perplexed look never quite left her face. Truly, it must be a shock to her.

"Please follow me, I will explain to you everything and answer all the questions you might have." Kaito said in a lighthearted tone. "And you, Aoko, should stop trying to kill yourself."

Aoko pursed her lips in annoyance. "I didn't. I was just curious."

"Don't you know how curiosity killed the cat?"

"Good thing I'm not a cat, right?"

Kaito grinned and entered the same room like last time, putting Aoko in the same bed again. "Now, let's see how to patch you back up."

"How do ya know my name and why do ya look so much like Kaito?"

Suddenly, Kazuha was standing in the door, confusion left distrust, her arms folded in front of her chest. She looked intimidating enough if it wasn't for the unease in her eyes. And now, with tranquility spreading through Aoko's bones, she truly looked at the other girl for the first time.

She had her face dirty with dust and maybe dirt, her clothes were a dark green greyish mix, looking like a soldier with heavy black boots (and she wondered how that girl could walk so silently in those boots). She had long hair put into a ponytail. All in all she was very pretty and once she got all the grime off herself she'd be even prettier even if probably even then she'd be terrifying.

Kaito turned around to the girl and smiled his disarming smile. "I know you because Hattori hates it whenever I flirt with you in my world – not that it happens often. But it's enough to infuriate him."

Kazuha seemed taken aback and Aoko wondered why. Kaito flirting with her? Well, she didn't know a Kazuha in her world and hoped her Kaito would never flirt with her even though she understood why he'd do that.

"And I look like Kaito because I am. My name is Kuroba Kaito. The Kuroba Kaito from this world that isn't yours. There is a different version of me in your world. You don't have to trust me but you can relax around me. No one is going to attack you here. My world is a rather peaceful one."

Kazuha didn't relax, in contrary, her muscles seemed to strain even more but she pushed herself from the doorframe and walked slowly to the window in the small infirmary.

"Now, what happened to you?" he chided Aoko. "You look horrible."

Before Aoko could answer, Kazuha interrupted. "She got caught up in an explosion. Check 'er head, she was heavily disoriented when she first woke up, lost a lot of blood, too. Her leg got broken by the fallin' debris."

Kaito took of the makeshift bandages and checked her head. A concussion would explain the steady thrumming of her head and the distorted sense of balance.

"This really is no dream, right?"

Aoko turned her head slightly to the left and watched Kazuha view the world beyond her. From what she gathered last time they were far up here and could see quite a lot of the city down there. It looked much like how she remembered Tokyo from her own world and even though she didn't see anything from Kazuha's world, there was this _thing_ and those people trying to kill them. Aoko wondered if the world had more to offer then debris and ruins but it was difficult to imagine a world like that.

"It was quite unbelievable the first time Aoko told me about dimension traveling. I didn't believe her because how is that scientific at all? But one second she was here and the next she wasn't and no matter how good a magician she was, she couldn't disappear into thin air like that."

Kazuha turned around, suspicion still edged into her look. "Where is she now?"

Aoko inhaled in shock, not really wanting to hear the answer again. The way Fake-Kaito felt anguish just when thinking about her, or this Kudo guy suffering seeing someone like the dead Aoko –

"Dead. She disappeared through one of the portals and never came back anymore."

Kazuha frowned in thought, her folded arms never relaxing. "What if she just stayed there? What if she simply never wanted to come back anymore?"

Kaito looked up, a solemn look on his face. "It's a possibility until I see her dead body. But it's been years and if her body's exposed to a world's time for too long, she'll die. The same thing will happen with you, Aoko, if you stay in a world for too long."

Kazuha's frown deepened. "And how do ya know that? Ta me that sounds like some kinda bullshit if ya ask me. If Aoko is the one going through portals who can ya know so much about it?"

Kaito turned back to Aoko and continued treating her wounds. "Because before her disappeared I had been keeping close watch over her. I'd kept tabs on her health, on her vitals and the longer she stayed in one world, the worse her vitals would get. She'd get back in shape in this world, recharging kind of but that's how it was. Her soul was not made for other worlds and over a too long amount of time it's get too strained and wither."

Kazuha leaned against the wall and laughed dryly. "Soul, huh? In my world, we don't believe in that kinda things like souls. There is no God and no souls just people and experiments. What ya saying might be true but it could also be utter bullshit. How can I go back home? If yar theory is true then if I were to stay here for too long my _soul_ would also wither and I'd die. Correct?"

Kaito smiled softly and nodded. "That's true. You cannot stay here for a long time."

"I will get you home. Promise. Just let me rest for a second and let Kaito treat my wounds. We can leave in a minute." Aoko piped in, trying to pipe down the hostility.

Then Kaito turned back to Kazuha, a more serious expression on his face. "Let her rest a night and then she can take you back home. One night will not hurt you and if it makes you feel better, I can monitor your health. If your health, in the unlikely case, gets worse I'll have Aoko send you home immediately." Turning back to Aoko, he frowned. "I'd like to monitor _you_ though. For your own sake."

Since Aoko didn't think anything of it and this was Kaito, nice, friendly Kaito who only meant well, she nodded. She was tired and there was still this ringing in her ears, silent but present and rest seemed like a very good thing after all.

Kaito left to get the medicine he needed and Kazuha crossed the room from the window to the chair next to the bed.

"Ya said the truth after all, huh? Even if I'll truly only know once you get me back home."

Aoko smiled slightly. "I wouldn't lie to you. And I promise to get you back home again."

Kazuha seemed to ponder something for some while, never abandoning her defensive stance. "Do ya trust that guy?"

Aoko nodded. "He's Kaito. I trust Kaito. Even if Kaito is a liar and a criminal but Kaito's been never anything else than my friend and I trust in that."

"But ya don't know this guy, do ya?

Aoko pursed her lips and thought about it for a second. "I guess you're right. I don't know this Kaito but I do know that no matter what Kaito, he'd never hurt me. And if he knows you and whoever that guy is he mentioned I doubt he'd hurt you."

Kazuha watched Aoko for some time before watching the door Kaito left through.

Aoko would have loved to know Kazuha's thoughts because she didn't seem to trust Kaito at all – she wondered why. "What is your world's Kaito like?"

Kazuha's gaze fell back on Aoko and she frowned again. "Definitely nothin' like this fool."

Kaito came back only a few moments later, hooking Aoko on an IV and putting some monitoring devices on her hands. Kazuha watched him quite closely take some blood – she'd already lost too much, didn't he hear her? Aoko felt like laughing because Kazuha's face was like an open book right now and somehow it was hilarious.

It was some time later when Aoko opened her eyes to a dark room with Kazuha sitting in the same chair with her back to the wall and front to the room. Only now Aoko realized how that was a safe position for the girl – having nothing behind her and everything she could see in front of her. She wondered if Kazuha was a soldier. She wondered if Kaito too was a soldier and thus so different from this Kaito.

"Can I ask you about your world?" Because she was curious what this world full of ruins was like in reality.

Kazuha kept her eyes closed when she answered. "No. You should sleep. I want to go home soon."

* * *

"Alright. Your leg will probably take a few weeks to heal. Here are some pain killers and medicine that will help accelerate the healing. Come visit me again if you need something."

Aoko couldn't understand why Kazuha didn't trust this Kaito but maybe it was because this was still so shocking – walking through dimensions? Unheard of.

It was already long past morning and Aoko felt as refreshed as she could with a full night's rest. Her body was still tired but her head wasn't hurting anymore and crutches made things much better.

"Thanks, Kaito."

She smiled for goodbye and focused on the shattered world she fled from. She tried to focus on Kaito – she didn't want to end somewhere in nowhere land again. She deduced that Kaito would have come to help them if he'd been in close range and given what she saw that night (which gave her some nightmares) she could understand why he wouldn't be able to travel at night – if those things could only move at night (like in those horror movies).

She opened the door and went through when she was instantly thrown on the floor, a bullet barely missing her head.

" _Shit."_ Kazuha swore behind her. „ _Aho_. Get off her! She's _not_ an enemy."

"Aoko?"

His voice. It was deeper than she ever remembered Kaito's voice but it was undoubtedly his. Looking up, she found Kaito standing above her, only older, with scars and wearing a uniform she only knew from soldiers.

There was shock written on his face before it changed for rage.

"Who the fuck are you?!"

With that the door behind her closed and she was stuck in the lion's den.

* * *

Hey! Guys, thanks so much for all your reviews! :) Actually because of that feedback I sat down today and wrote this thing haha Thanks for that :) I can't tell when the next update will follow but finally we have some action and some more characters interacting and this is something I hadn't planned but hey it worked out fine :D and somehow I love this badass Kazuha haha

Tell me if you liked it and until next time


	10. Murderer

**Chapter 10 Murderer**

Aoko shuddered because heck she never knew Kaito could be this intimidating. This Kaito could probably kill her with one hand. Or worse – two _fingers_ or something.

"Shit, Kaito, ya _aho_. Let her be. She's my friend. And it's a long story!"

 _Friend huh?_ Aoko wondered for a second before Kaito's intimidating look made her train of thought stop dead.

Kazuha tried to step around Aoko, tried to step in front of the looming Kaito but he easily pushed her behind him and kept watching Aoko with hostility oozing out of him.

"I'll have a word with ya later." Kaito growled over his shoulder towards Kazuha while keeping this eyes on the newcomer.

The mentioned girl stomped her foot in frustration and anger. "As if ya'd have abandoned 'er. Keep that bullshit to yaself Kuroba!"

A guy with darker skin put a hand on Kazuha's shoulder, pulling her towards him. His face was as grim as Kaito's sans the intimidating rage.

"How the hell did ya even get outa there, _ya aho_? It's barely been an hour."

Looking up confused, Aoko scrunched up her face.

 _An hour?_ They spent the whole night at Science-Kaito's world.

Looking up confused, Kazuha turned around. "What d'ya mean, Heiji? _An hour_? Like hell, are ya kiddin' me? We've just come back from … well, but it's _definitely_ been a whole night."

Come to think of it, she hasn't really realized it before, but time seemed to flow differently in all the different worlds. She'd have to check and then double check _again_ because they'd definitely spent a whole night at Kaito's. And if that time span was barely an hour in this world, the flow of time of both worlds was extremely different. If she just stepped through the door to Science-Kaito's world and then came back immediately, probably more than just that one second would have passed.

 _Shit, if this world's world-time ratio is this big apart, how much time has passed at home? If I've been gone for longer than a few hours Otou-san is going to freak out._

Looking up in urgency, because she needed to get home _now_ in order to avert a possible manhunt all over Tokyo, Aoko tried to get Kazuha to acknowledge her. As things stood, she highly doubted this Kaito would even let her get up much less let her go _anywhere_. Even if it was leaving his world to go back home.

Kazuha seemed to be in a staring contest with this dark-skinned guy called Heiji.

"What the hell do ya mean _the whole night_? Barely'n hour passed after ya broke off the connection."

"Grrrraa. This is gettin' us nowhere."

Kazuha ruffled her hair in obvious frustration.

"Uhm if I may-"

" _No!"_ Kaito and this guy shouted in unison and successfully shut Aoko up.

 _Geez, what's with his attitude? He's damn scary._

"Aren't ya bein' _friendly_ , ya _ahos_?! She'd my friend and _ya_ , Kuroba, let her get up. Can'tcha see she's hurt?!"

From what Aoko gathered from this display Kazuha seemed to hold some kind of authority but unfortunately neither Kaito nor this Heiji-guy seemed to care.

Kazuha fought her way back in front of Kaito and fought another guy off who tried to pull her away. Meanwhile, since Aoko's gaze wasn't connected to Kaito's and his intimidating look wasn't keeping her locked on the floor, she sat up, trying to get her crutches again only for them to be kicked away. What did they think – that she could _beat_ them with them?

Groaning in annoyance Aoko looked up and found Kazuha being pulled away by the guy she called Heiji and Kaito fixatedly watching her.

" _What_ are you?"

His voice was more than just threatening.

Without turning his head away, he addressed Kazuha again. "Have you tested her?"

"Of course, I tested 'er. Girl's as clean as one can be. Of _course,_ she's clean. Aoko! Tell the _aho_ where ya from."

Aoko looked from Kazuha back to Kaito and nodded. "My name is Nakamori Aoko. A-and I'm not that Aoko you knew. I'm someone else – from a different world. I know it's hard to imagine but it's true. I'm not from here."

Kaito scowled and squatted down to her height. "What kinda shit are ya trying to pull, girl?"

"She's telling the truth, Kuroba. Honestly, she's with me. She's clean and safe. Now leave 'er alone. And ya _aho_ let me go. We have much worse trouble."

Aoko looked up to Kazuha who fought that guy's grip off and turned to Aoko. "She's our guest now. And I need a shower."

"Hah, true. Ya look like _shit_ , Kazuha."

"What was that, _Heiji_?"

"Nothing, nothing." He put up his hands in a placating manner, slowly inching away from the scowling girl. Then her look went back to Aoko and she sighed defeatedly.

"Listen Kuroba, it's fine if ya don' trust 'er. At least trust me." She pointed to herself as if visually showing what she was saying would help the situation. Aoko wasn't sure. Maybe it would. "Those bastards set up traps in tha whole damn building. Girl ran straight into one. Do ya really think she'd have done that if she were our enemy? Got herself trapped beneath rubble and would've died if I hadn't saved 'er. She couldn't have known I'd be there. It was a coincidence I went inside. Ya gotta admit that. _They_ had been after 'er as much as after me. Sent even their damn _dogs_ after us."

 _Dogs?!_

Well she wouldn't have called those creatures _dogs_ but then again she didn't really see much except what she heard and sure, those scratching noises probably could have been scratching of claws belonging to _dogs_ though she seemed unable to grasp that concept.

"Besides, _I_ didn't get concussed ya _ahos_. I know what I saw. And I definitely saw _ya_ , Kuroba. Only – it _wasn't_ ya. It's all damn too complicated."

"Oi aho, are ya sure ya haven't hit yar head? Ya talking bullshit 'ere. Ya saw Kuroba but it wasn't _him_?!" Heiji leaned close to her and looked her straight in the eyes. "Well, yer eyes look normal enough at least."

Kazuha seemed to deflate at that. They were getting nowhere as Kaito never let his gaze stray from Aoko even for a second while Kazuha had been trying to explain things to him. He was still as a statue, his muscles flexed so hard it must have hurt and his look as unreadably as only a Kuroba was able. The aura of rage and intimidation was still flowing around him but he may have been considering things. Aoko couldn't tell for sure. The only thing she knew was his steady gaze fixed only on her like a hawk fixing his prey.

"Kuroba, listen ta me! We have more pressing matters at hand. _They_ nearly got us. If not for Aoko's ability we'd be dead now, or _worse_ , their lab rats. _They_ are getting incredibly powerful, Kuroba."

Kaito's silence felt unnerving for Aoko as she didn't know this side of him at all. Kaito of her world never was this quiet, ever. Also, she couldn't feel any killing intent coming from him and yet he was unable to keep his gaze away from her even for just a milli second.

"I'm tired, Kuroba. And that girl is hurt and needs rest. In that state she couldn't even harm a fly, am I wrong?"

She wasn't really scared and Aoko wondered why that was. Kazuha was now nearly begging him to let her stay, and probably keep her alive for that matter but Aoko wondered if there really was a world where Kaito would harm her. Maybe if was a false sense of security because she was so used to _her_ Kaito who'd never physically put her in any harm's way. However, she had doubts believing that a version of _Kaito_ really existed which would want to kill her.

"I say we throw 'er to the lions."

Looking up, she found Heiji crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking grimly down at her. Kazuha gasped and smacked him on the shoulder.

"Have ya been listening ta _one_ single thing I said?! That girl _saved_ me."

That statement made him turn around and point an accusing finger at her chest. "Now ya wouldn't have been in any danger if that girl hadn't been around. So just shut up, ya aho. Go to bed and rest. We'll talk about yar punishment for disobeying orders tomorrow."

Frowning, Aoko closely followed their conversation. Kazuha had acted on her own accord? To save a girl she had once known but was most likely an enemy now? And now she was getting punished for it? To Aoko that simply didn't seem right.

"I can show you." Aoko suddenly exclaimed. Her gaze was full of hope when she watched from Kaito which expression didn't change at all to this Heiji guy who started scowling and squatted down to her, right next to Kaito. Great, now she had _two_ strong, ripped guys who could probably break her in half with just their small fingers, squatting in front of her and intimidating her. She swallowed in nervousness.

"And how the fuck do ya wanna do that?"

"Really, I just need door. I can open a portal or something to my world. I can show yu-"

"I call bullshit. As if that monster could _do_ that. I say we throw her over the border."

Aoko looked up. She knew the voice but seeing the face, and though his features were different, she couldn't mistake him for anyone else. "Fujie-kun?"

Her voice had been small enough but it froze the whole room to ice in a matter of one word. It was only after realization dawned upon her that she might not have told them that she knew that guy, too, that Aoko realized she was in big trouble _now_ if she hadn't been before.

"See?!" Fujie screamed while pointing an accusing finger at her. "She's a monster. A _spy_. How _else_ would she know about me?!"

He was borderline hysterical now and Aoko bit her tongue. This could have gone much better. She wondered if was the last thing she'd experience.

"I know you because in my school we're in the same class and you have a crush on Akako-chan."

Another slipup making the tension palpable now. She was sure if a needle was to fall she'd be able to hear it crash to the floor. Holding her breath in in fear every sound would make the thick loaded tension around her go _boom_ as everyone was staring at her in shocked rage and tense muscles.

Suddenly, a gun was shoved in her face, _again_ , only this time he was oozing killing intent. The telltale click told her he just loaded the gun and probably had no trouble at all to pull the trigger on her. Aoko involuntarily stiffened at the revelation.

"I say we take her ta the border and drown her there!"

Fujie was shaking, she could see as much and while that should have been reassuring as he was probably not really on board with killing her, she wondered if maybe he was more easily trigger happy instead.

"Now that's fucing enough ya asshole. Put the gun away from 'er or ya can take it up with _me."_ Kazuha shouted in annoyance and walked up to the shaking boy. But the second she took the third step, getting steady closer to him he shifted the gun from Aoko's head to Kazuha's body.

Now _that_ triggered a few _other_ reactions from everyone.

With one swift move Kaito had stood up, and shot.

Closing her eyes in shock to the sound, she put her hands around her ears as the ringing sound came back again. It was really no fun having a shot fired in close range distance.

"Anyone else fucking wanna point their fucking gun at anyone of us?"

Kaito's voice was sharp like a knife and cold like ice and she wondered if he yelled at them or if her ears were working again because he sounded deadly quiet.

When Aoko looked up again and sitting up slowly, she found Heiji standing at Kazuha's side, pulling her towards a door. It was then that her gaze fell to the side that she found Fujie lying motionlessly on the ground. Blood was slowly flowing from his shirt to the floor and the puddle grew bigger every second that passed.

Stiff and her breath hitched, Aoko couldn't turn her gaze away. Was it really possible? Did Kaito really kill somebody just now?

Her body started to shake, if from shock of watching someone getting killed or from fear of this Kaito who'd probably kill her just as easily, she didn't know. But she knew that she felt cold, freezing even, as the temperature in the room must have dropped suddenly.

Could Kaito really – just because someone was pointing a gun, could he really kill the person in cold blood? Just like that?

And then she was on her side and on her arms, heaving what was in her stomach though admittedly it wasn't much more than water and stomach fluids. Still, her mouth burned and tears burned at her eyes and Kaito was a murdere _r, Kaito was murderer._

She barely registered the hand on her shoulder and the soft voice trying to get a grasp again.

She just saw all the blood, the anger in Fujie-kun's voice and the sureness with which Kaito pulled the trigger from one second to another without a single warning up front.

"Dammit, come on, Aoko. _Breathe_!"

Blinking, she found Kazuha's face only mere centimeters away from her own not that it helped much.

"Great, Kuroba. Ya did it. Are ya happy now?" she asked sarcastically before turning her full attention to the choking girl. "Calm down, Aoko. Take a deep breath. Ya'r fine. Everything's just fine."

When Aoko found her chest burning, or with realization her lungs, she gasped for breath. And only then did she grasp the state she was in.

Trying to get her breathing under control again, she closed her eyes and focused on Kazuha's voice telling her to breathe in and breathe out and then breathe in and breathe out. It was a repetitive pattern, a pattern she could follow even in her jumbled mental state.

"That's right. Ya need ta stop hyperventilating. Just breathe, Aoko. Just calm down and breathe. Everything'll be fine. Promise."

Aoko didn't know how many breaths it took her to get her heart rate back into a normal range again or her breathing. She was still shaking like fallen leaves and an icy hand was holding her steadily in its grasp.

Judging by the look this Kaito was still giving her, things were _not_ ok and probably won't be either. She needed to leave. Now. Who knew if she wasn't the next he'd kill? He just killed a _friend_ of his and she was a foreigner, a dead girl who by all means wasn't supposed to be around. She understood why he was distrustful of her but she didn't desire to die any time soon. She needed to go. Even if Kazuha believed her and liked her and protected her, Kaito didn't and that was all the difference that she needed.

Maybe that was why she couldn't stop shaking so bad. She was scared. Scared of this world, of the creatures of this world and of the people who kill people in cold blood. Not that it didn't happen in her world but she didn't see Kaito doing anything like that in the near future – or distant future or _ever_ really. This was dangerous, _she_ was in danger and she no longer wanted any part in it.

Nodding, she put her hands on Kazuha's shoulders and stood up. No one moved while she was supported to stand or at least she saw no one moving. That was a good enough sign that no one would shoot her right now. It didn't mean they wouldn't do it the next second though.

"That's right. I'll take ya ta my room and we can both finally get some rest."

There was the door, just behind her. It was the same door she came through when leaving from Science-Kaito's world. It was just about a meter away from her, one step was enough and she'd be at the door. But at the same time it'd take her at least two seconds to reach it and she was sure, Kaito needed only a quarter. She was dead as soon as she moved. But then again, she doubted she'd survive the night if at Kazuha's place or not. Even if Kaito didn't kill her, she didn't overlook all the hostile and distrustful looks everyone inside this room were throwing her way. One or the other would try to kill her, she was sure about it. She might as well try to escape while she had some chance.

She needed Kazuha to cover her, just for one second she needed her body to be in front of her so that Kaito wouldn't shoot, or anyone else for that matter (and in case anyone aimed at Kazuha they were dead anyway) and she could escape. Just one second would be enough.

"No way in hell Kazu _ha_ are ya takin' her with ya. Ya damn idiot!" Heiji grabbed for the other girl while she turned towards him, a scowl already plastered on her face again.

And that was it. That was her moment. Her one second of the only chance she might have for survival.

Breath hitching, Aoko turned around, jumped that one step that seemed too far all of the sudden, and while her leg hurt like hell because she damn well wasn't supposed to walk on it (but getting her crutches would have cost her two additional seconds she didn't have), she grabbed for the door handle, wrenching the door open.

Turning around to disappear behind it, her gaze locked with Kaito's and she swore he didn't move, didn't even try to raise his gun at her when Kazuha and Heiji both tried to grab for her. out of the corner of her eye she saw movement but who or what exactly was happening, she didn't know. And didn't care either way, as she closed the door behind her.

It felt like an eternity before the door closed and she was sure that no one would open it again. An eternity for her heart to calm down again, to stop the quick and hard thumping of it inside her chest. At this rate, she was sure she wouldn't survive her 25th birthday.

After a while, probably some seconds, she exhaled in relief – never having realized she'd been holding her breath this whole time. No one was coming through the door which meant no one was coming for her which in turn meant she was safe.

She was safe and home and finally she could rest.

Only, when she turned around, she realized she was far from home.

"Kaito?" She gasped, her heart rate going up immediately with the revelation that this must be yet another dimension she stumbled upon.

Slowly limping to his bed, he must be in a hospital as he was lying in a bed and a monitor with many cables were attached to his body, monitoring his heart rate as well as other vitals. The closer she came the clearer it became that this Kaito looked different. Not just his age, he looked older, similar to murderer-Kaito but also his facial features were more angular. Maybe it had to do with being in the hospital, he probably lost a lot of weight and so his feature became more prominent but something still felt off.

Maybe it was the hair which wasn't as disheveled as she was used of Kaito (come to think of it, so far all the Kaito's had definitely the same hair style) or the nose which looked slightly more narrow. But before she could study his features any more the door behind her suddenly opened and she turned around hastily, nearly crushing into his bed because her leg gave out on her.

There was a woman standing there. She had dark brown hair and the iciest eyes Aoko ever saw. Their gazes locked and the tension inside the room grew, triggering Aoko's fight or flight reflexes. Only she had nothing at hand to fight with and the only exit was blocked by the woman standing in the room.

"How the fuck are you still alive?! I can't believe Vermouth fucking botched the job."

Heart beat skyrocketing in fear, Aoko froze.

This was _not_ what she had in mind when she fled murderer-Kaito's world. This was worse than her worst nightmares.

As the woman started walking towards her, Aoko took steps back only to stumble on her own feet. She tried holding onto something to keep her upright, however the woman was on her the next second and she ended in a heap on the floor.

Aoko tried to fight her off but the woman easily grabbed both her hands and held them above her head on the floor. With her other hand she pulled a syringe from her lab coat and without a second to spare she rammed it into Aoko's neck.

Pain erupted through her system and Aoko was sure she was this close to a mental breakdown or heart attack when darkness overwhelmed her once more.

* * *

Aoko has been in and out of consciousness ever since they induced her with whatever they did. Everything was blurry and her mind wasn't working.

She remembered seeing people around her and then she was alone, sometimes it was light and sometimes dark. She couldn't quite remember any faces or voices or anything remarkable really. Her mind was all a jumbled mess but she felt oddly at peace with things. Life has become a weird cycle of opening eyes and then closing them again.

So when she woke up the next time and her head hurt, her mind felt strangely clear. Not clear enough to understand what was going on but there was a feeling inside of her that something was horribly wrong. Her head hurt and her heart throbbed painfully in her chest but before she could do something a nurse entered the room, walked to her bed and pushed a button.

Immediately her head felt like cotton again and though numb darkness took over once more, she felt raw panic at the edge of her consciousness.

This cycle continued a while longer. She'd wake up due to pain and soon a nurse would come and lull her back to sleep. Panic would rise more every time she woke up but she couldn't do anything about, not even move a single finger.

The next time she was woken.

"Hey sweet socks."

The voice felt far away and she was still swimming in the endless sea, her head far too submersed in the mud to really understand. When she opened her eyes she was covered in darkness and Aoko wondered if her eyes were really open or just a trick of her mind.

"You need to stay silent, princess. I'm going to get you out of here. Promise."

The voice felt closer now and somewhat familiar. Not in the sense that she should remember who it belonged to but that she's heard it before somewhere. Now where and when was way beyond her right now.

She woke up to music. And this time, when she opened her eyes she was finally able to see.

"Oh, awake sleepyhead? Good morning. How are ya feeling?"

She blinked to adjust her eyes to all the lights shining into her eyes.

"I'm sorry it took me so long but they had guards everywhere and I had to find your room, too. Geez, Kuroba must be worried sick. How did you even get there?"

Aoko felt detached and barely registered the person talking next to her. She watched through the window as the outside world moved at a high speed. Just where exactly was she? She wasn't able to recognize a single thing.

"Ah sorry, am I talking too much? They drugged ya with a really strong anesthetic. I bet your head still feels like cotton."

It was dark outside, she could glimpse as much. It must be night then. And the inside … she turned her head and found the same bright lights from before. Ah, right. She was still at the same place.

"They drugged me with the same strong anesthetic but thankfully they weren't really watching me when whyever the IV was taken out of my arm, making me regain consciousness again. I bet ya had something to do with that. Only a Kuroba is able to foil their plans like that."

The boy chuckled and Aoko finally turned her head towards him.

"Kai…to?"

Her voice was raspy and unused and it hurt to speak. The lights were too bright and blinding her, hurting her so she closed her eyes again. It felt better. She felt better.

"It's fine. Just sleep, princess. You're safe now."

His voice was like a lullaby lulling her to sleep.

* * *

She woke up to humming and light outside. Not quite bright yet but not dark anymore, either. The moon was not to be seen but the sun wasn't up yet either. It was barely dawn but it felt tranquil and Aoko quite liked it.

It was the first time she was able to pick her head and finally take in her surroundings. The days and nights before felt surreal and this also felt kind of surreal but definitely more real then before. The time before blended into one long dream and she wondered what was true and what wasn't.

It looked like she was inside a car. It looked different than what she was used to but it still had to be a car. She was sitting in the front seat with the rest of the car empty.

Suddenly, the door next to her was wretched open and she startled a little.

"Good morning. How do you feel, princess? Here, drink something."

For a second she thought it was Kaito but then she dismissed that thought. He looked so similar to him what with the dimples and his heartwarming smile. But his eyes were different and no matter what state Aoko was in she'd always be able to distinguish Kaito's unique eyes from everyone else's. Whoever he was, though, he looked friendly enough and Aoko carefully grasped the water bottle he was offering her.

"Drink up and rest. We don't have much more gas and it won't last until the next city so we'll have to walk eventually."

She tried to open the bottle but have those bottle tops always been so hard to open? That guy must have seen her struggling because with an apologizing chuckle he pulled the bottle out of her hands and opened it for her.

"I'm sorry, sweet socks. I forgot. Ya probably won't get back to your old strength for some time. When we're in town I'll give you some protein bars. That should push ya enough to make it back to camp safely. Right now your body might not accept it though so be a little bit patient, alright?"

His warm smile was blinding and filled Aoko with, maybe a false sense of, peace and safety. Aoko took the bottle again and nipped at it. The water felt refreshing and quenched her thirst which felt like she hadn't drunk for a whole year or something.

"Better now?"

His smile was truly disarming and Aoko wished she knew who he was. At least he seemed friendly enough not to want to kill her. Kill, yeah, things were slowly getting back to her. That world's Kaito had wanted to kill her. That was why she had fled and ended up worse than before.

And now she was _somewhere_ with _someone_ who probably knew her but she had no idea who _he_ was and her head was still too much in the clouds to be able to think clearly and find a solution to this whole mess.

"Would you like to stand for a bit?"

He offered her another smile and a helping hand and only reluctantly Aoko accepted. Not because she didn't trust him (weirdly enough she did even though everything in her screamed to _not_ do that) but because she didn't trust her body more. Would she even be able to stand when she could barely able to lift her arm? Aoko had big doubts.

Nevertheless, she took his hand and slowly got out of the car.

"Wait-" Her voice was still way too raspy for her taste. "Where is my cast?"

Her leg was supposed to be broken, right? Where was the cast? Did they take it off? She'd have to go back to science-Kaito and have it reapplied, hopefully without needing surgery to get the bones back in correct order.

"I-" he looked down as if in shame. "I'm sorry, princess. It took me a whole month to get you out of there. Your leg must be all healed up by now. The drugs also had some side effects probably. Try to stand on it. How does it feel?"

Aoko did as she was told and put weight on her left leg. It didn't hurt like she expected but it didn't feel like it used to, either. She probably still needed some more time for it to heal completely. Or maybe her body was just still numb from all the drugs they gave her. Either way, Aoko didn't feel like letting go of the warm hand keeping her upright.

"I was wondering the whole time how you even managed to get here with a broken leg."

She saw him shaking his head, probably in disbelief, and Aoko let him believe whatever he was thinking she was. If she acted like the girl he knew then she was save. Last thing she needed was him finding out she was someone else and then killing her. He looked like a way to careless guy to do that but Aoko didn't want to push her luck. Besides, she'd never thought Kaito was able of murder either and here she was.

She'd never seen a landscape like this one. It was a barren and dry field, flat for a long time only ending where the horizon started. And the sky was a deep grey and black and blue, all mixed together with rose and oranges in the far distance, with the silent promise of sunrise.

"Whoa hey, you're still not really well. Let's get you back inside and get going."

She blinked and had the guy not been holding her hand, she would have fallen to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Aoko was grateful for him helping her sit down as her head lolled to the side and her eyes became unimaginably heavy all of a sudden. And although she was fighting the darkness, she lost, and it overtook her once again.

* * *

"What am I actually wearing?"

The boy turned around with a mischievous grin on his face and chuckled. To be honest, she really liked him even though she didn't know him at all. He felt non-threatening and friendly, all smiley and happy.

"There are some spare clothes at the back seat. I thought you'd appreciate it if I didn't change you myself."

Aoko blushed at his words. Hell yeah was she happy that he didn't feel like changing her himself because he might have known this world's her but that was a different person. That would have been just weird.

"Thanks. I guess."

It must have been the hospital garb she was still in and she'd gladly change it for anything else. Getting out of the car, she opened the door to the back seat and closed it behind. He might be a nice guy but she didn't trust him not to peep and she really didn't want anyone to see her naked. And as she took of the thin white and blue clothing she found nothing beneath. Lovely. Quickly taking the shirt and leggings she put them on and though she'd like to have a bra and some panties it was better than nothing.

When she got out of the car he, whose name she didn't know, had his back to her and was looking into the far distance. Aoko wondered what he was thinking about, what he was looking for. She'd also like to know where they were and where they were planning to go. Some shoes would also be nice but then again, beggars can't be choosers, so she'd probably have to live with barefoot walking.

The girl assumed they were out of gas as he had mentioned before darkness had claimed her. She walked up to him and found the same barren wasteland she saw before, too.

"I'm still wondering what it looked like _before."_

It was weird seeing him like this, wistful and in thought and she too wondered how this place might have looked. Maybe like in her world? Full of greens and trees and flowers? Full of water, ponds and rivers?

"But, we can do nothing about it as of now so let us not think about it."

Just like that his mood switched from wistful to cheery and Aoko wondered if maybe that was all nothing but an act.

Putting on a small smile herself, she nodded and followed him to the car.

"Unfortunately, we ran out of gas. I assume we're still about some kilometers away from the next town but we should be able to make it before nightfall." His voice changed a bit, she was sure she heard a slight undertone of hesitance and caution in it and wanted to ask about it. But this world's Aoko would know what was going on, wouldn't she? If she wanted to keep up this play pretend she couldn't just ask about all the things she should know.

Nightfall. Did that mean that those things came out at night? Judging by his subtle checking of the gun she clearly saw attached to his belt, being exposed to the outer world here without any sort of security was deadly. Maybe that was why he was so hesitant to leave the car and continue by foot.

"Maybe we can stay here for the night and start going to the town early tomorrow?"

Aoko figured she still must be in murderer-Kaito's world as that woman was so sure this world's Aoko was dead and this barren landscape? She'd seen it before with Kazuha. Only it had been dark back then and only now that her head had cleared up mostly, she was able to connect the dots. Unfortunately that meant that something went horribly wrong when she desperately tried to escape Kaito's clutches.

Kaito-mashup, because she couldn't keep calling him _guy_ in her head forever, shook his head and sighed.

"No, I don't think this thing will be enough to save us from those things. We were lucky enough last night to not have encountered any of _them_. Anyway, we need to hurry if we don't want to end up where we fled from."

Oh. Yeah. She hadn't thought about that. Those people should be looking for them, right? And if they were looking for the two, Aoko was sure they didn't have much time before someone might catch up to them.

"You're right. Let's go then."

She felt highly motivated all of a sudden and Kaito-mashup seemed to find it funny as he couldn't stop the chuckle that left his lips. At least someone was in a good mood. Maybe that meant that things weren't actually too dire. Maybe they had a realistic chance at survival.

With the sun shining down on them, the temperature was rather pleasant and the asphalt at least wasn't too cold beneath her feet.

It was when they were a few minutes away from the safety of the car that Kaito-mashup spoke up.

"Now, would you like to tell me who you are, princess?"

His voice held no malice and it was the same pleasant tone he used the whole time but something in Aoko's mind snapped and she broke down.

"Please don't kill me!" she sobbed while falling to her knees, clutching her head in protection. "Please. I'm not a spy. I mean no harm, please, you have to believe me."

She curled in on herself when she felt a touch on her shoulder and as fast as it came it was gone.

"Please," she whimpered while crying bitter tears.

"Alright. Look. Aoko. I'm not going to hurt you. And I'm certainly not going to kill you. Think about it. Would I have gone to all that trouble to save you only to kill you afterwards?"

"But I look like _her_. How would you have known it's me and not _her_? Kaito killed Fujie-kun in cold blood and he wanted to kill me too. I don't even know _you_."

She was shaking now, fearing for her life for the first time in her life. Even with Kaito she hadn't truly believe he might hurt her until he killed Fujie, just like that, and now wasn't any better. Those people were used to killing. What was one more dead person?

"Look at me, princess. Come on, look at me. I'm not holding a gun. Just look at me, alright?"

There was this existential fear that had Aoko do what she was told. If she were being compliant then he might not kill her, right?

Looking up, she looked directly into those piercing blue eyes that were so similar to Kaito's. Oh, how she missed him and the safety that came with being with him.

"See? No gun. No matter who you are, I'm not going to hurt you, alright? What can I do to make you believe me?"

Aoko closed her eyes again in fear and couldn't quite stop the sobs.

"I'd throw away the gun but then we'd be instantly dead if we were attacked. Look, how about you climb on my back and I carry you to the next town? It's not like I could hurt you when my arms are holding you, right? Please stop crying, princess. I hate seeing you in tears."

Aoko wanted to believe him if just because he'd been nothing but kind to her. But she'd been playing the girl he thought he knew when that girl was long dead and Kaito had wanted to kill her when – she instantly tensed when he grasped her shoulder again. It was a soft touch, barely there and it most definitely didn't feel angry or malicious but it was a foreign contact which scared her nonetheless.

"Please princess. Climb on my back. We need to keep moving if we want to survive the day."

It was like she watched from another person's view. She heard him speak and she saw him and maybe she told her body to move, do _something_ but it didn't want to react and did nothing but keep sobbing into her hands. She could do nothing when he took her hands into his and pulled them away from her face. She still kept facing the ground but was soon pushed upward.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I promise, princess." He kept repeating that like a broken record and Aoko wondered if maybe he was just as broken.

With sheer will power he pulled her onto his back and stood up.

"See? No pain. No violence. I promise we're _both_ going to survive this."

He sounded sincere enough and if things were different she might have believed him without a doubt but as things stood she feared for her life and calming down took some time.

* * *

"Name's Kudo Shinichi. Mind telling me yours?"

"You know my name, Kudo-san."

"Kudo- _san_? What does that mean?"

"It's the polite and respectful way of addressing a person I don't know well in my culture."

"Oh really? That's incredibly interesting. Mind telling me more about your culture?"

Aoko wondered if he kept the mood light on purpose as if not to distress her any further and keep the tears away or if he truly wanted to know about her.

"No. What would you like to know?"

It had been some time and Kudo was still carrying her. Aoko wondered about his stamina as he'd been as much a prisoner as her and his endurance should have become as bad as hers. Still, her was right. If he had his hands around her legs, he couldn't shoot her and right now that was her only reassurance.

"Hmm. Start with your name."

"My name's Nakamori Aoko."

"So, it _is_ really the same, huh? Then where are you from?"

"I'm from a different world. A parallel universe, I guess." Her voice was hoarse and felt too raw. She'd much rather not talk. Probably Kudo figured as much as well.

"Wow that's _really_ incredible. Definitely hard to believe but you're here, right? So what exactly happen to make Kaito so angry?"

She actually didn't want to talk about it but if it kept him happy it might keep her alive longer. "We had some kind of situation where Fujie-kun pointed his gun at Kazuha-chan and then Kaito simply killed him." She was surprised at how steady her voice felt when inside she felt cold all over.

Kudo was silent for a long time before he answered. "You know this might sound mean but Fujie was a spy working for the enemy. I think Kaito figured this at the moment or maybe he had known for some time and only waited to see what would happen. But when he was threatening one of our own, Kaito acted. I think Fujie wasn't joking when he pointed the gun at Kazuha and Kaito knew that too. Killing him in our world was the only possible outcome."

It was wrong on so many possible levels even if Aoko knew nothing of this world. She couldn't imagine how a world could work where people simply killed each other simply because they were standing on different sides.

"Things have not been nice in this place for a very long time, princess. It shaped us all into what we are today."

"Then why didn't you kill me when Kaito hardly hesitated?"

"But he did, didn't he? He _did_ hesitate. You're still here. He didn't kill ya. As far as I'm concerned ya feel pretty alive to me, at least."

Aoko kept silent because well, he wasn't wrong. She _was_ still alive, after all and if she were honest, he hadn't raised his gun when she fled from the room. He could have easily done that but he hadn't and she couldn't see why.

"I for my part thought you were this world's Aoko until I realized that you weren't really. Kaito wasn't wreaking havoc anywhere so something had to be wrong. And when you didn't remember me I had an inkling that you must be someone else when you still remembered Kaito. Besides, you were a prisoner same as me and if you were their spy then why would they want to keep you subdued and used for experiments?"

She looked up in panic. "Experiments?!"

Kudo chuckled again. "Don't worry. I didn't let them. The worst they did was pumping you with drugs which was bad enough but not preventable."

"So it's easier to believe I'm from a different world than a spy?"

"Odd, isn't it? But honestly, I've seen stranger things. A jewel with magical powers destroying the whole world? I'd say that's harder to believe and yet it happened. Kaito is a fool for not believing ya."

She kept silent after that and the conversation ceased to a stop.

A jewel destroying the world? Something about it resounded within her but Aoko had seen too much in too few days to follow that thought any further. But Fujie had been a spy and that warranted his death? Sure, Aoko didn't want to die or Kazuha but was it alright to kill the killer to be? Wasn't it just a cycle that would never end this way?

"You know. She's dead. The girl you call princess."

She wasn't sure why she told him.

"Yeah. I figured as much."

"I'm sorry."

* * *

They kept silent for the rest of the walk that took the whole day but right when the sun was setting they arrived at the town. Though, it wasn't what Aoko actually had in mind.

"This is all just ruins." She breathed.

Shinichi slowly let her down and if she hadn't been so distracted by the destruction, she would have been scared again. But when Kudo pulled out the gun and loaded it, her fear skyrocketed once again.

"Stay behind me, princess. We need to make sure there is no one there before finding a safe place."

His words did kind of ease her fear and when he grasped her wrist and pulled behind him, she figured he wouldn't immediately kill her.

"Please don't kill me." Still, she needed some assurance.

"I promise."

* * *

Ok first, thank you so damn much for all your reviews, guys. Those were the only things making me continue haha keep it up.

Second, this is unedited as I've been working on it for three days and there was supposed to be more content but I wanted to finally update again so the rest will be in the next chapter and I need to go to bed now since I need to wake up early and go to work ^^"

I hope you like this and hopefully the next chapter won't take me how many months again? Haha ^^"

Yeah, you know how it is. Life happened and then boom.

Until next time.


	11. Rebellion

**WARNING mentions of sex and rape in this chapter. Don't read if you cannot handle it. It's mostly implicit but just be warned.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11 Rebellion**

"What do you want, _military_? We'll fight ya 'til the end."

With every _click_ the tension rose between both groups.

"I'm here to negotiate."

"We _don't_ negotiate with military's. We _fight_ them. How the _fuck_ do ya not know that?!" The black haired rebel raised his automatic rifle further.

Kaito looked the weapon over with a contemplative look.

"If the AK-74 is the best you can offer to kill us with, then you're doomed." Pointing to his ear, he crossed his arms in front of his chest in patient annoyance. "I have a sniper up there, just one, and that sniper could eliminate all 24 of your soldiers within two seconds. If we wanted to fight ya, you wouldn't be standing here now talking to me."

Kaito pointed leisurely behind him to the tall building in the far distance.

"Stop blabbing bullshit!" the black-haired rebel yelled. "You came here on orders to kill us, didn't ya?!"

"That are my orders, that is true."

"Then what is keeping you from doing it?!"

Kaito was glad those rebels were coopering as much as he expected them to. They usually didn't trust him – not in the beginning anyway. But the fact that none of them opened fire meant that they were as desperate for these negotiations as him. Not that he would tell anyone that he was desperate.

"My goal is to eliminate the military's. And the best way to do it is making alliances with rebels. That is what I'd like to negotiate with you." After a contemplative thought, Kaito continued. "I think you've heard about the Black Death, am I right? If it makes your decision any easier – the very same Death is standing right in front of you."

* * *

As usual the mention of the Black Death did the trick and while he sometimes felt bad about using the name, it got the deal done.

"Another successful mission. I'm proud of ya, cap."

"Oh, is that so?"

Kaito put his arm around the girl lying next to him in his bed and pulled her towards him, earning him a quiet giggle.

"Yes. That was just _marvelous_. They had _no_ chance against the charm of our precious, lovely _cap_."

Her voice was like honey to his ears and he couldn't get enough of it. He kissed her soft lips in a long ago made promise. She tasted like the freedom he so much yearned for. And he couldn't get enough.

"I love ya, Aoko."

He couldn't remember how many times he told her and how many times she'd just smile at him coyly as if telling him she _knew_ that and she quite liked it. And Kaito couldn't say he didn't revel in her smile even if he knew she'd never be truly his.

"Run away with me."

He had told her so many times. And always her answer'd be the same.

"You know I can't." Because there were things keeping her here, at least that was what she told him time and time again, but what that was she didn't say. "But I'll be more than happy to aid in your flight. Take as many people as you need. Whenever you are ready, I'll be there."

But she wouldn't come with him.

"You know I won't leave without you."

He wouldn't. It was neither a promise nor a threat. It was the simplest of facts that he couldn't leave this girl behind no matter what. One day she might be able to let go whatever was holding her here in this prison. And until that day he would wait for her and assemble as many allies as he could, building up a network of rebels, uniting them in a way that no one else could.

She kissed him and stopped all his thoughts at once. Her kisses were addicting, so much that he felt a high whenever he tasted her lips. It was an addiction like no other as he could forget what he was doing, what he was supposed to do – what this world made them to be. He hated every second of it, he hated himself most of those seconds but whenever he was with Aoko, he felt safe. He figured it must be the same for her because she came back to him, time and time again.

Kaito wished Aoko'd say yes. He had gathered enough allies to survive the first year outside in the world without getting killed by the other military units. He had gathered enough people in this unit that he would free, too, and together they'd make yet another rebel unit. All the preparations were done and ready and all he was waiting for was her acceptance.

He kissed her neck, letting his hand travel all over her upper body.

"Kaito…" she moaned.

"I love it when you say my name." Because they weren't supposed to call each other by their given names. They were supposed to call each other L-637 and S-837637 but Kaito didn't care. They also weren't supposed to have any feelings and most definitely was Aoko not meant to be in his bed but here they were and he couldn't be any happier.

* * *

Everyone of them had just one task. The snipers were best at sniping. The intels were best at intel gathering. Strategists at thinking up strategies to defeat the enemy with least risk and loss. Combats were best in fighting hand-to-hand. Leaders might be the only exception as they were usually good in everything but best in leading people. They also had scientists and medics, cooks and inventors but basic of those traits were taught all around.

Aoko was the unit's sniper, the best sniper that unit ever saw, and thus she wasn't trained much in anything else.

Due to being the best she was often sent on different missions with different teams unlike most of them who were put in one team until it was obliterated. She was also the favorite of this military unit's boss. It was one of those things why she couldn't simply leave with Kaito.

She wanted, oh she wanted to leave this life behind her and start something new, with Kaito and the others. She couldn't put in words how much she longed for that but she couldn't. Aoko loved Kaito dearly, more than she could ever imagine loving someone but he was this pure, blood-shed avoiding angel and she wasn't. She exceled at killing while he at talking and protecting. She had too much blood on her hands already to drag him down with her. Though Aoko knew that her squad cap didn't care one ounce about it – that was the life they were made to live, nothing to be done about that.

Still, running away with him would make him a target – a target she'd protect at all cost – but it was an unnecessary risk she didn't want to put him through. If he just left without her she'd be made to track him down, or at least she'd be on the squad, and from behind the scenes she could make sure no one ever found him if he didn't want them to. Kaito was skilled enough to hide even from her but _because_ it was her, he wouldn't and both knew that.

And Kaito was this pure, too pure for this world human being, who was too stubborn to leave her behind and sometimes Aoko hated him for it. He was risking himself and his sanity and all the others for her when she didn't think she'd ever change her mind. She was the unit's star sniper and no one would let her go without a fight. A fight that might cost her friend's life's, a risk she wasn't ready to take.

* * *

"How was your mission?"

The squad leader was waiting for the young sniper at the gates of the unit. He usually did whenever she was put on a different team or given a solo mission to kill someone. He always knew when she was due to come back and patiently waited for her. With as much power as he held within the unit, he had worked hard for that, he made sure it was enough that she reported to him and no one else.

Aoko shrugged in indifference. "Went as smoothly as always."

He took her to his room without another comment. They both hated talking about their job, about her targets and everything in entailed and so Kaito tried as much as he could to avoid it. They had nicer topics to talk about anyway.

"Come with me." He told her, again and again while pressing his body against hers, pressing her against the wall and pressing his lips against hers.

And she'd give him the same answer again. "You should go. And forget me."

But he couldn't forget her. And he couldn't leave her behind. He'd never get tired of telling her that. "I'm only leaving with you."

Kaito hated how people were calling her behind his back. How they thought of her as _his whore_ and only being where she was due to _her sleeping with him_. It was never about him, only ever her. Her hated it when she'd want to leave his room to get back to her own as people would see her sometimes and then things would only get worse. Mostly because there was hardly anything Kaito could do about it, about the whispers and Aoko's wished, that he wanted to leave the most. He knew that even his protection wouldn't protect her all the time.

Sometimes her resolve wavered, usually when the mission didn't go as planned or whenever something happened – not that she'd tell him but he'd know anyway. During those times Kaito tried his best to talk her into changing her mind as both knew that leaving was the only possibility for people like them – people with a heart and a brain, not order following braindead machines. And though she'd waver she'd never change her mind. And Kaito loved her too much to not respect her decision.

* * *

Aoko wasn't a mastermind like her squad leader who she came to love so much and she stuck to orders when she was given any. If it was a solo mission or assassination mission with a team she wouldn't usually work with, she'd follow orders. Sometimes orders clashed as Kaito gave her different orders than what their mission goal was but she was okay with it. In that moment he was the leader, the person in the highest position of power and his word was law. During all other times the mission goal was the exact same as her orders and the young girl had no trouble fulfilling her mission.

She'd never botched a mission before and she was wavering between being proud and disgusted with herself. She never planned to botch one, either.

Except, sometimes things happened and situations changed.

"So, how does it feel to be L-637's whore?"

She looked up sharply. Usually those remarks only left a bitter taste in her mouth but nothing worth to get rid of. She could _live_ with it, probably even for the rest of her life. However, this seemed to become something else entirely. No one ever had dared to speak to her like that before.

She was currently on a new mission on a different team, perhaps the only team she couldn't work with well. The team consisted of only arrogant, dangerous predatory males – not that she was scared of any of them but she wouldn't be able to even close her eyes during the duration of the mission.

They were eight together with their leader. Half of them were spies and the other combats. She was only backup from the distance in case things went awry.

"How about you show us how you satisfy _the great leader_ every single night. I'm honestly jealous. I also want my personal whore."

Aoko hated them with a passion and with every word they said her disgust of them only grew exponentially.

Tensing, she grabbed for her gun as this was going into dangerous territory.

"I don't give a fuck what ya dumb fucks think. Leave me the hell alone and get on with your mission."

"Or what? Are ya gonna tell on us to your great leader?"

Sometimes Aoko did. When things got too much and she couldn't take them anymore she'd confide in Kaito for he was the rock above the high waves trying to swallow her.

Aoko never bothered to learn anyone's unit names much less the real names. "I'm sure if ya botch this mission ya all will be in a lot more trouble than I'll ever be." She just wanted to get this shit over with and go back to Kaito. "How about doing your job, dumb shit one and dumb shit two?"

"What did ya slut call us?" Dumb shit one asked in a threatening voice and Aoko pulled out her gun, pointing it towards him though it was already too late. She was no fighter and probably even if she was, she wouldn't have been able to fight off four combat masters.

Dumb shit two jumped on her, kicking the gun out of her hand, while dumb shit three hit her head against the floor making her vision go dark for a second. One second which was enough for them to jump on her, holding her arms and legs down. It was one second later that Aoko realized what was happening wished, for the first time ever, she'd left with Kaito a long time ago. Cursed be all the risks that went with it. She'd have been with Kaito, the master of plans and leading. They'd have been safe – or as safe as one was in this world.

Parts of her clothing was ripped off, the other parts were cut off. No screaming, no threatening and no trying to fight them off got them off of her and they didn't stop for the longest time.

* * *

Mouri Ran was the first member of Kaito's squad when he was put on a trial to see if he could lead a team or not. They fulfilled the mission with superb results. That was seven years ago and he was just a ten year old boy.

After that Kudou Shinichi was put onto their team as the strategist and while Kaito was very well-versed in strategizing himself, he was happy about another smart head on his squad. Later Shiho was grouped with them as their scientist. Then Suzuki Sonoko was assigned as their spy and only one year later Aoko made up their whole team.

When Kaito was fourteen he told everyone of his plans of leaving this place. They were mostly reluctant to agree with him and so the idea was laid to rest. Over the years the boy kept planning and planning and the more missions they were sent on the more he realized his friends' changing view. They were still reluctant to agree to his idea but he knew they'd go without hesitance were he to tell them he's leaving now.

He saw it in the way they were longingly looking at all the rebels smiling and laughing and interacting with each other. In the way they seemed all like one big family and friends being happy and at peace. In the way that the rebels waited for the enemy to make the first move and not like they were taught to just shoot without thinking. In the way their own interactions changed as soon as they left the corrupting walls of the unit.

He watched Ran chat happily with a girl from the rebel unit they were supposed to annihilate. It had been a great surprise when the rebels had been expectantly waiting for them instead of fearing yet another military assassination attempt. The alliance was formed quite quickly with a lot of amicability and Kaito and his team used the rest of the days they had for completing the mission forming bonds with the rebels.

Aoko had been sent on a different mission and therefore wasn't with his small group and he missed her greatly. He was sure she'd be able to socialize with Ran, Sonoko and that other girl. He could relax for a second and just enjoy drinking beer with Shinichi and Heiji, the leader of this small group of rebels.

As far as Kaito knew she'd be just a day's travel away now, about one week away from the unit and he itched to just take the car and drive to meet her. His gut was telling him to go find her and usually when his instincts screamed at him, he listened. He knew his friends would be safe here, he trusted his new alliance partner.

He left them under the pretense of going to the toilet because he knew his band of misfits would only demand to accompany him and while he usually didn't mind, this time something was telling him to go alone.

Kaito especially knew that Aoko probably would be angry since he might botch her mission and the talk would become only worse because he came for her but truth be told, he didn't give a shit. Aoko could be as angry at him as she wanted to be as long as he knew she was alright he was, too. But until he didn't know that he'd put up with it.

It took him less than a day and it was nearly morning when Kaito arrived. The track was parked haphazardly in front of a ruin and all the bells in his head went of at the same time. They were all well trained in assassinating and this was _not_ how they were taught to handle things without being detected. Something must have gone horribly wrong.

Leaving his car parked in front of the building because _damn_ he had no time for precautions, he took out his Gatling gun and left the car. The building looked abandoned and there were no traces of a fight as far as he could see.

The ground floor was as empty as he'd expect it to be and they were taught to take shelter on higher floors as that way they'd be able to hear enemies and had time to prepare for them. They also had a better view for enemies. Kaito expected to find someone on the the sixth or seventh floor but when he reached the forth, he barely avoided a knife to his throat.

Kaito threw his gun away when he realized who was attacking him and tried to calm his racing heart.

"Aoko!" He knew she'd recognize his deep voice everywhere and it seemed to halt her movements. She looked at him with empty eyes and desperation.

It took him a while to understand what he saw.

She was naked and all the dirt and black sooth he saw? It was blood.

She was still gripping the knife tightly in her hand, shaking badly as if just keep standing were taking too much strain on her body. He wondered if maybe that was the thing here.

Taking off his jacket, he took a slow and considerate step towards the girl, not out of fear of getting hurt but because he needed her to see he was no threat to her.

It was when he was at her side and pulling the clothing over her body that he saw the bruises and dirt and all the other things staining her body.

It made his blood boil. Kaito never felt rage like this and there were a few times when he felt like going on a killing spree when Aoko came back from a mission hurt in any way or shape. But this – this was on a whole different level of rage. If those people behind her weren't already dead, he'd kill them himself.

"They raped me. And then I killed them."

Her voice was barely anything more than a whisper, a broken sound carried by the wind. In that moment he saw red. He wished so much they were still alive so that he could rip off their dicks first, then push in their eyes, then slowly cut off finger by finger until they lost enough blood to finally kill them. And even then he'd keep them alive as long as possible just so they'd never forget who they started a war with.

Kaito pulled the hurt girl into a hug and lay his hand carefully on her head. For the first time in his life he had no words to offer her.

He wanted to scream, to rage, to kill someone and he would. He needed to calm down now, help Aoko survive this night and then he'd make sure people would never forget what happened if they hurt one of his. The world would burn.

"Let's run away, Kaito."

That night a monster was born.

* * *

When they arrived at Hattori's camp a day later he found a mob of angry people waiting for him. Under normal circumstances he would have anticipated this but right now all he could think about was how to hurt those assholes the most. He'd take out the military unit and then take his squad as far away as he could.

"Where the _fuck_ did ya go, Kaito?" Shinichi was usually the most level-headed person and for a second Kaito wondered if maybe something happened here while he was going for Aoko but then put it away to sort out later. He ignored Shinichi and turned to Hattori.

"Can I leave my woman and my team with you? I'll be back in two weeks and pick them back up. We'll leave then."

Hattori frowned and looked behind him to the car. Aoko was still inside, not really feeling trusting enough to get out. He had told her it was fine but she'd have to leave sooner or later because he refused to take her back to the hell they left from.

The request took Shinichi by surprise and he too looked behind his leader and gasped in shock. Kudo went around Kaito to the car but the leader grabbed his arm and kept him back.

"Leave her alone." He growled dangerously and though he knew Shinichi meant no harm he didn't know what kind of constitution Aoko was in mentally. She accepted him but would other guys scare her or did she feel as safe around the other team members as around him? He didn't know and didn't have the nerves to try it out right now.

Shinichi seemed to understand an accept the order without complaining.

"Why?" Heiji inquired suspiciously.

"I'm going to eliminate the military unit and need someone to take care of my people during that time."

Heiji snorted. "Are ya fuckin' crazy? How tha hell can ya eliminate a whol fuckin' unit by yaself? Are ya fuckin' kiddin' me?"

"Come on, Kaito. That's not like you. Besides," Shinichi turned to Hattori. "we'll go too. It'll be just Aoko who needs shelter. If ya really meant what ya said about the alliance then this is the first thing we ask of you."

Heiji narrowed his eyes in annoyance but before he could retort something, Kaito interrupted.

"No! You are _not_ coming with me. I need someone, possibly Sonoko, to go back to Aoko's mission place and clean up. No fighting, just collecting things and cleaning up. There's a van you can have, Hattori. It's one of the unit's better ones."

Kaito watched as Ran, Sonoko and the girl they seemed to get along to well with came out and stopped in front of him.

"Oi, what's going on, _leader_?" Sometimes, Sonoko wasn't easy to get along with but she had great spying skills and was best friend with Ran.

"I need ya to do some cleaning up." Turning to Hattori who was still watching him with a contemplative hostility, he frowned. "I'd be grateful if you could provide company and a car for Sonoko."

In that moment that the car door behind him opened, more gasps were heard and he watched everyone with hawk-like carefulness. He wouldn't let _anyone_ hurt Aoko anymore than already she was.

Hattori's girl next to Ran blanched when her eyes landed on Aoko.

"Oi, Heiji." She started and walked up to him. "Heiji! It's her. It's tha girl who saved me. I toldcha 'bout her. I'd be dead without 'er."

It was weird how those few words changed the situation completely.

"Are ya sure?"

Turning around to the girl, he looked her straight in the eyes. Hattori didn't sound like he doubted the girl, more like he just wanted to make sure it really was the truth.

"Of course I am! I'm not stupid, ya _aho_!"

With that Hattori nodded and turned back towards Kaito and now Aoko who walked up to him.

"Alright. Sonoko will go with Kazuha." When he saw the protest in the girl's eyes, he continued. "I need ya here in case this place gets attacked. Ya might make it back in just a day an' half. Be quick."

Then he turned around an called out a few names. "We are all accompanying ya. Ya wife is safe here. leave whoever else ya wanna stay here. My only condition is ya give us time 'til early tomorrow. I need ta prepare my men if we wanna eliminate a 1000 soldier unit."

Kaito felt like refusing his condition, telling him to go after them whenever he felt it but then he felt the small girl next to him and his protests died instantly. He couldn't just leave her here with foreign people after what happened to her. Though one day was all he could take.

"Beside, ya need ta rest. We'll be gone two weeks, that is not to underestimate."

Not that Kaito ever underestimated anything but he also wasn't thinking right at the moment.

"Alright."

* * *

She was clean again. The dirt and the blood were all gone.

Weirdly, she didn't feel anything like clean at all.

She still felt their hands all over her body and she ached in places she's never ached before.

She felt empty inside and though Kaito's presence felt reassuring, it didn't quite fill the void. Not like before. Not like when he used to be her rock. Now suddenly the waves were much higher and she was slowly drowning in them.

She guessed Kaito must feel it too because he was checking up on her every chance he got, sometimes coming up to her every two minutes. Strangely, it didn't bother her at all. Nothing bothered her if she was being honest. Nothing but the feeling lingering in her head and on her body.

"Hey." He said softly, again, as if afraid she might break if he were too loud. "Do you think you'll manage here? Sonoko will be back soon after we left and Shiho will stay here. I'll try to hurry it up and come back as soon as possible."

Yeah, she knew that. He'd do everything for her, wouldn't he? She understood why they needed to go back but also, Aoko didn't want him to go, deep down.

"It's a suicide mission."

It was. Because the truth was, Kaito never once killed a single soul. How was this guy supposed to take out the whole military unit? He knew how to use a gun but whenever he was supposed to do it, as in protecting himself or his friends, Aoko had been there to protect _him_ from the distance. She was sure, he'd hesitate and that'd kill them all. She, on the other hand, never once hesitated. It was that one small difference between them that made her so reluctant to leave with him – or even to be with him. But if he stuck to her even after what happened then maybe he wouldn't leave her in the long run. He knew what he was getting into, didn't he?

"Not with these many people and our knowledge."

"But you're not thinking straight. Even Shinichi thought up the perfect plan who says you'll stick to it? You're too angry right now, Kaito."

"And I have all the right in the world to be angry."

In fact, he probably knew it would happen. Maybe he even heard the whispers how it would happen during that exact mission. Maybe he just hadn't consciously realized it to be true.

"I have more right to be angry."

"But you're not!" He countered angrily and Aoko saw him clench his teeth in frustration. Probably with her.

Lowering her gaze to the ground, Aoko sighed. "I _was_ angry. I was so angry I killed them with Dumb Shit Two's knife. I'm not trained in wielding the knife. But I killed them with it. I just feel…" she was looing for the correct word but not quite finding it. "empty. Maybe. I don't really understand how I feel."

She got quieter again.

Putting his arm around her small frame, Kaito pulled her to his side.

They were sitting on the roof of the tall building they were currently residing in Hattori's camp.

"It's alright. It's enough if I'm angry."

Maybe he was right. Maybe it was.


	12. Stranded I

**Chapter 12 Stranded I**

"Where have you been?"

"Getting help."

Aoko frowned. "Getting help _how_?"

Shinichi smiled sheepishly and sat down at the wall opposite of the girl. "When we just started with our own camp we marked a lot of places for us and other people. By installing safety mechanisms we made sure someone would come for us when we were in trouble. Of course, if help is a thousand miles away there's no use. Luckily this used to be one of those places, highly dangerous but daring making people come here anyway. I'm sure Kaito's on his way by now."

Aoko's frown deepened. She still felt uneasy with this Kudo-guy but he was keeping his word. Not once had he been threatening and deep inside Aoko doubted he would start now or anytime really. But she never thought Kaito could kill someone, either and yet here she was. So she was better off safe than sorry.

"How do you know he'll come? How long have you been imprisoned? And why?"

Shinichi sighed. "You're right. Technically they must think I'm dead. But knowing Kuroba he'll come if just out of curiosity and anger who the fuck dared to use my code asking for help. He's going to come, no questions asked. Though if he'll believe me I'm me and not a brainwashed spy working for the enemy, well, that's a whole different story."

He looked thoughtfully out the broken wall next to them, looking into the setting sun. They had barely made it here within time what with Shinichi being slowed down carrying her. But for the love of her, Aoko couldn't let go. Too scared was she of him turning his back on her or her turning her back and then getting shot without even realizing the danger she was in. Kudo never once bitched about it even though she clearly saw the strain on him. And even now, she knew he was tired and needed to sleep but he acted as if he'd rested the last hundred years and all this was nothing.

She'd even offered to get them to Kaito's place for which she only needed a door. She'd expressed her fear of Kaito killing her the second he saw her and Kudo very vehemently denied that possibility but still. Yet, Aoko tried her best to get them to safety (or Kudo at least, or maybe none of them if things came down to it) but somehow her powers weren't working. She opened and closed door after door but all she saw was the empty ruin behind it.

It shocked the girl to the bones because if she couldn't open a door then she was doomed. She didn't know how much longer she had until her body would give up on her. Science-Kaito's warning had never truly left her mind and yet her body was refusing her now. However, even her failure somehow didn't change Kudo's believe in her. Did that make him great or stupid? Or maybe something else entirely.

"Well, anyway. We were on a reconnaissance mission as we were getting low on supplies when we got attacked by our enemies. Back then Kaito got hurt quite bad and had to get back to the camp. Ran took him back and while Aoko stayed back, she was our sharpshooter and the best you must know, _they_ had us walk right into all their traps. The buildings were blown up and I don't really know what happened to her but I got caught. At first they tried to get intel out of me and when nothing worked they kept me as a lab rat, I guess."

"Reconnaissance? Camp? I don't quite understand."

Shinichi chuckled. "You're really not from this world, are ya?"

Tensing, because _damn_ , she didn't want to die.

"Geez, calm down. Kuroba gotcha bad, didn't he? That bastard."

His gaze went back to the horizon for a minute and Aoko wondered once again what he was seeing. The light was getting less and less and the darkness was moving in with them. She wanted to ask if they maybe could light a small fire but figured if they had wanted to do that they would have long assembled some firewood and started it. It would be a long cold night.

"These are Pandora's lands, a Goddess doomed to tragedy. They say she was a very loving and caring Goddess, having the land thrive at all times. She had great powers, healing sick people, people close to death.

One day, she fell in love. It was an ordinary human man but she didn't care about it. They say the lands were the most beautiful during that time."

"What happened?"

"What usually happens. The Goddess had a jewel which contained all her power. A much too powerful jewel, even for the Goddess herself. Only through that jewel her power could be controlled. It goes without saying that no human being was allowed to get close to it as it would shatter and destroy the whole world. But as things were, human beings are greedy beings and so Pandora's husband, one day, grabbed her jewel and wanted to have her power for himself. They say he destroyed Pandora's love and the world. No one truly know how this barren place came to be but this is our reality."

A jewel, a Goddess named Pandora? Why did it resonate with her so much? She'd never heard the name before, Aoko was absolutely sure about that. Why was there this warm feeling inside her chest when she thought about this sad tale?

"Supposedly, it happened hundreds of years ago. When I was born the world already looked like this. Now, you can separate us into three people. The rebels, the army and the scientists. I met Kaito and the rest at the army. We were soldiers for some twisted minded scientists, trained to kill other people. Aoko was trained to be a sniper, Kaito a leader, Ran a combat pro and I the Intel. Kaito had wanted to leave the place for the longest time before Aoko got hurt and he decided for all of us to leave. We were on an alliance mission while things got bad and that was how we kind of grew really close with Hattori's camp."

Aoko swallowed. This world was so different from all the other worlds. How long have all those cities been destroyed? Was there really no one else but those three kinds of people? Were people really killing themselves just like that?

And by what she saw, the world looked highly developed. The science here must have been much further along than even her own world right now before it was destroyed. Though she doubted that all the science from back then was dead now.

"We fight the army and the scientists as they are trying to kill us. What they want is a unity, a brainless mob only doing what they tell them. But this is not who we are, who we want to be. Still, living as a rebel is a hard life, not suited for everyone."

"So did we just escape those scientists?"

"Yeah but they probably long sent an assassin convoy after us. Let's hope Kaito hasn't relocated somewhere too far. If he can reach us before _they_ or those beasts, then we might have a realistic chance at survival."

"Wow. Now that gives me hope. Like – so much damn hope. Now I'm so reassured we'll survive." She answered sarcastically to his sudden gloomy outlook.

Shinichi snorted. "No need to sugarcoat it now, don't you think?"

Getting back up, Aoko patted the dirt from her clothes and cleared her throat in annoyance. "Ok, I'll try a door again. Maybe I can open up a portal now."

She was still somewhat groggy and tired and definitely thirsty and hungry. Maybe those things also played a role that she couldn't use her powers. Or maybe it was the simple fact that all those ruins didn't have real doors. All of them just had open pathways or unhinged wooden leftovers of what could have been doors once upon a time. It had been incredibly difficult to find just one halfway working door and then her powers gave up. But whether it were her powers or the quality of the door, or the lack of, Aoko couldn't tell. Maybe it was a bit of both.

Still, maybe Kudo was right. Those assassins wouldn't hesitate even a second. Kaito might. He might give them a second more for them to explain things while those people would kill them on sight, immediately, without even thinking about it, not one second.

"Sure. Good luck."

In the vanishing light the black door stood ominously in front of her and while she didn't like turning her back to Kudo, she felt kind of comforted that he was right behind her. She focused on her home because maybe she was simply too scared to go back to this Kaito, and then pushed the handle. But when she opened her eyes, the same darkness greeted her like before.

 _I guess I'll die._

This was honestly the worst outcome ever and Aoko wondered how she would get out of it.

"Maybe they drugged me and that turned my power off or something. Maybe I'm permanently stuck here now."

There was a hint of panic in her voice and deep down she was _drowning_ in panic because having no way back? That meant certain death.

"Hey, hey, calm down. If it comes down to it you can just stay with us."

It was goodhearted advice, she knew that but he didn't know half of it and she turned around sharply and pointed an accusing finger at him, momentarily forgetting that he had a gun worth killing her and she didn't.

"If I stay too long in a world which isn't mine then I will die. Of course, that implies that I survived long enough to be killed by this world, meaning Kaito didn't kill me on sight when he arrived here. But my soul is not made for other worlds and so over time I'd die. He wasn't very specific on the details of _how_ , however."

"He?"

Aoko sat back down deflated. "Yeah, Kaito. I mean Science-Kaito. The one who treared my wounds after I nearly got blown up here."

"There is a Kaito who is a scientist?" He sounded incredulous.

"Well, yeah. He was a doctor before he found out about his Aoko having powers like I and then he started researching them. That's why he knows lots of things about it."

Even through the worsening darkness Aoko could see the skepticism in Kudo's gaze. But it made sense, didn't it? In this world all scientists were the enemy while in others they were mostly good people. It also explained why Kazuha was so distrustful and hostile towards him.

"How did ya meet Kazuha?"

Aoko leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Still miffed at the prospect of her imminent death. "I was curious about other worlds and then ended up here. But when I arrived here a bomb went off, apparently, nearly burying me alive. Kazuha-chan must have been close and refused to listen to Kaito's and Hattori-kun's order. She stayed with me until we got attacked by some _things_ and well, I guess _them._ I was able to open a portal and brought us to Science-Kaito's world."

"And how did Kazuha react?"

"Same as you really and I first thought it was because it was all simply so unbelievable. But I see now that it has different reasons."

"Yeah. We can't say much good about scientists. Even if he might be a Kaito and as much as I appreciate that guy, I wouldn't trust his word just like that. You're feeling fine, don't you? Unless you start feeling something confirming his theory I wouldn't fret about it too much."

Aoko sighed. "Not like I can leave anyway."

* * *

She must have fallen asleep even though she didn't want that especially knowing about dangers lurking outside and the very real danger of one Kudo Shinichi sitting in front of her. But when she opened her eyes, Aoko wasn't sure there was _anyone_ sitting in front of her. The darkness was so consuming that she wasn't even able to see her hands in front of her face. Which was bad.

And then there was the scratching. Again. Like back then. Scratching and growling and damn, was this really supposed to happen? Like, couldn't Kaito find them before those wretched _dogs_ did?

Within one second she was wide awake, her heart raging inside her chest, and adrenaline freezing her movements. This was bad.

They were on the highest floor of the highest building where they had to climb up. It wasn't like it was impossible for anyone to climb up there – they made it there themselves, after all. But it was pitch dark and that had to be at least slightly challenging, right? Maybe not for trained assassins and their degenerated dogs, but what did Aoko know?

The scratching was not quite next to her but damn it was too close. Maybe they were one floor beneath her? She wasn't sure. Her heartbeat was louder than any breathing she might have heard of any enemies trying to kill her.

Was this it? Were these her last moments on this earth? What would happen if she were to die here, a foreign world she didn't belong in? Would she be bound here forever, haunting people because she'd never find peace? Would her soul deteriorate? Would it hurt?

Could she fight? But with what? Her leg was alright again but there was no weapon anywhere close to her and she had absolutely no stamina anymore. And where the hell was Kudo? Wasn't he supposed to be around? Was he asleep? No, she couldn't imagine but then again, he'd been carrying her half the day and before he'd been driving all the time and now…

She needed to do something, wake him, check up on him, anything really. If they were to die then at least they'd die together. Also, he had a gun and while Aoko had never used one before, how difficult could it possibly be?

But first she needed to get her legs to move again. Scratching or not, if she wanted to stay alive, she needed to find Kudo. If he hadn't killed her by now the chances were high he wouldn't try anymore, right? And right now she had to face more pressing matters anyway.

 _Okay move, you idiot. Move if you want to live._

The scratching was getting steadily closer. Aoko gulped and summoned all her courage (where it had gone she didn't know). In that moment moonlight shone through the opening in the wall and she had finally some light to see – and well, what she saw, she didn't like one bit. Kudo was not at his place on the opposite side of her. That – was bad.

Did he leave her here? To die? Did he escape? Had Kaito come for him while she'd been asleep? Or had she been dreaming? Had this whole thing been just a dream? What was going on? Why was he gone and why had she not heard him move? True, she'd been tired – she still was – but that was no excuse to not hear him leave. Even if Kudo was trained for intel gathering from what he told her and she gathered that also entailed him knowing how to sneak around but still. No excuse. Because now she was alone in a god forsaken world with no way out and some degenerated animals out for her blood. What perfect premises. (That was irony.)

Getting to her feet slowly, Aoko put one hand on the wall behind her and started walking in the direction she remembered the stairs to be. She needed to leave. Right now. She needed to find a weapon she could fight those things off with and then leave. Somehow. Somewhere. Once sunlight broke through, she'd probably be safe but how long it was before sunrise? Her guess was as good as anyone's at this point.

Trying to hold her breath as good as she could and her steps light as not to alert those things to her position (even though she was sure it was in vain – didn't animals have, like, super hearing?), Aoko krept along the partly illuminated and partly pitch-black wall. She still remembered the general direction of the stairs but not falling through one or the other hole in floor _would_ be an issue.

 _Okay, don't freak out. Kudo-kun left because … well, mabe he needed to use the toilet. How many times did Kaito need to do that? Though, thinking about it now, I guess he just did it to get his Kid act running, huh._

Having her heart sink, Aoko needed to remind herself again that it didn't matter right now. It was something she'd have to face but that was neither here nor there. Kaito could wait, besides, if she died now, she wouldn't even have to think about it anymore.

Stopping, Aoko froze.

There was no sound anymore. No scratching, no growling, no steps, nothing. She hadn't realized it before, but it was dead silent. If a needle were to fall, she was sure she'd be able to hear it fall. And then she just reacted.

How Aoko knew to jump, she didn't know but when she landed some distance away, something brushed her legs.

"Gah!" she shrieked and jumped to the other side.

Panic overtook her mind and she ran. Though difficult due to the darkness and only here and there some weak moonlight, Aoko tried her best to run away from whatever found her. However, she heard it again, the scratching, and the growling, and the steps coming closer and closer.

Stumbling over something, probably debris, Aoko lost her footing and the ground beneath her grumbled and gave way.

She screamed in fear, feeling the wind all around her as she plummeted from the highest floor however many levels down.

It was the second time now that she fell from a high spot, the pit of her stomach dropping, the breath leaving her lungs. It would have been intoxicating if it hadn't been so scary and Aoko sure she'd die.

But this time she didn't feel the hard and cold glass beneath her when she landed, neither the hard and deadly concrete, as Aoko was grabbed around her middle, her head swinging dangerously close to the ground but never quite hitting it. Gasping for breath, the helpless girl trashed around in hopes to free herself.

" _Stop movin'!"_

Well, that stopped her right away. That voice – it chilled her to the bones and fear shot straight through her. Not the hot, deadly fear but the cold one, the one freezing her in place and stpping her mind from working properly.

Kaito was back. And this time she didn't see how she could escape him.

"Keep movin'. We're leavin'."

Aoko wasn't sure if he was speaking to her – obviously not, because how was she able to walk if he had her slumped over his shoulder like a sack of potatos – and kept her mouth wisely shut.

She was panting, drawing breath after breath while Kaito moved through the halls, getting them steadily down to the blessed ground. She wondered if she should stop breathing altogether, it was much louder than even his steps but when he didn't comment on it, Aoko simply tried to get her breathing under control again.

Her stomach hurt, and she was sure it'd be black and blue for some time from the impact. He had some damn edgy and hard shoulders.

"Wait!" she cried. "Where's Kudo-kun?"

"Keep quiet or do ya want to kill us? Shinichi's waiting at the car."

Should she be happy that Kaito sounded as relaxed as she ever heard him? Was it a good sign? And Kudo-kun was at the car? So then the call for help really got through and Kaito came for them? Then Kudo-kun left her so that he would greet Kaito?

"Why did he leave me?" she asked in a much quieter voice and hoped he wouldn't change his mind and leave her here after all.

"To make sure I don't kill ya on sight."

Aoko blinked. Ok, so Kudo-kun was being considerate to her and faced Kaito alone while she had been sleeping upwards. But what if things went awry and Kaito killed Kudo? Then Aoko'd be all alone – well, she'd be dead.

"Why didn't you?"

"Didn't _what_?"

It was weird how this bubbly feeling was chasing the cold and the fear away and all she felt was safe – and a bit nauseated but that was beside the point.

"Kill me. You even went to the trouble to get me? Why? Last I checked you held a gun to my head and I'm pretty sure you were very close to pulling the trigger."

"I was."

Aoko balled her fists.

"Then why didn't you?! Why are you here now?!"

Raising her voice like that in an environment like this one was admittedly not her brightest idea but the frustration with this guy was getting to her and she wanted answers.

"Keep yelling like that and I fuckin' sure will leave ya here as dog food."

Gritting her teeth, Aoko shut up. This guy was impossible! Truly, he had a point with her yelling when the danger was too real, but couldn't he just stick to his morals? Did he have to be so fickle?

All of a sudden, she was flung to the floor again and landed with a thump.

"Ugh. Can you wa-"

The sound was unbearably loud and Aoko had to slap her hands over her ears until it stopped again. What kind of gun was doing such a noise? Definitely automatic, was it a machine gun? Kaito _really_ must not be out for her blood anymore if he had something like that with him and yet failed to kill her.

"Get up!"

She couldn't even look up as fast as she was yanked back on her feet and dragged behind one very agitated soldier. She had no other word to describe what he felt like – not that she truly knew what a soldier felt or even looked like.

"Behind ya!" another voice yelled and Kaito stopped and pushed her immediately behind him.

Was it Kazuha? Was that Kazuha's voice? She should have looked what Kaito was fighting – or shooting – but too excited was shee by the prospect of this wonderful, wonderful person coming to her rescue, too.

But when Kazuha turned the corner, there were those dangerously deadly eyes on floor above her and before Aoko could even think, she jumped up and moved.

"Watch out!"

Grabbing the next shining thing she saw, which by sheer coincident appeared to be an iron rod, she jumped up just when that thing jumped down towards the other girl.

The iron rod stuck right between its teeth, the clicking sound of teeth hitting iron resounding in the empty halls before more shots were fired.

Things went incredibly fast after that as she was hurled back on the ground and nearly crushed by the body of that _thing_ if she hadn't been pulled back.

Once again, she was yanked back on her feet and dragged behind now _two_ very agitated soldiers, running outside of these godforsaken empy walls and Aoko couldn't be any happier for the fresh air, the wind and finally some light illuminating her way.

"Oi, Kazuha!" Kaito called out and pushed Aoko to the other girl who caught her before she could stumble over own feet.

"Gotcha," Kazuha exclaimed with a small triumphant smile and Aoko couldn't help but feel relieved. She might survive this night, after all.

Now that Aoko could see again (and wasn't upside down), she watched the slightly taller girl in front of her. She wore, what Aoko could only call, soldier clothing and probably a machine gun, too, as she was dragged by the hand towards the car. Looking into the distance, she even could find out a car. Well, more like a SUV. Was Shinichi really inside already?

"Where's Kudo-kun?" Aoko needed to know and surely, Kazuha wouldn't lie to her.

"Inside tha car, keepin' the engine hot."

Relief flooded her once more. Thanks god he was fine even if he _should_ have woken her up and told her he was going to face Kaito and that he might not come back. He could have warned her but then again, things seemed to have worked out either way.

Panting, Aoko had more trouble keeping up with every step she took. Her condition was worse than she imagined – gone were the days she chased Kaito inside the classroom seemingly all day long.

Looking behind her, she found Kaito just a few steps behind them making the rear of the trio. Was it a protection formation? It must have stemmed from military, too, right? Or maybe it was simply logical to keep the wounded non-fighter in between the two experienced soldiers.

"Why is the car so far away?" she complained, feeling her legs grow weaker with every further step, her lungs not getting enough oxygen to let her keep going.

"Kazuha, take up the rear."

 _Huh_?

"Aye!"

Before she could even think about it, she was again slung over Kaito's shoulder in one swift motion and this time she let her body relax against him.

She felt hot and sweaty and breathless and her feet hurt, not just her legs, but the soles of her feet since she didn't wear any shoes. She was glad to be off her feet now, wondering if they were bleeding. She had soft soles, not used to the rough ground.

With Kaito carrying her, they covered more distance much faster and before she even realized it, she was thrown on the backseat of a car and then, with a start, it lurched forwars, pushing her further into the seats.

"Everyone alright?" Kudo asked and Aoko looked up in wonder, untangling herself from the seat and sitting upright like a normal person. Kaito crossed his arms in front of his chest next to her and Kazuha turned around with a big grin on her face.

"I'm so glad ta see ya again, Aoko. I was so worried when you just disappeared on us like that."

There was no judgement in her voice and Aoko was happy about it. She didn't want to have to explain herself to them, besides, she was sure Kazuha understood even without words.

"Yea, I think we're all good. By tha way, thanks for before. I migh' hav' not reacted fast enough. Man, Heiji'd be angry at me."

"Before? What happened?" Shinichi inquired concerned, turning around towards her even though he was driving. She would have told him to watch the road, but they were alone on the road so there was probably no particular need to. "Are you alright?"

"I," she started. "I guess. I'm just tired." Then she turned to Kaito. "Thanks. For saving me. For going back for me. I don't know what Kudo-kun told you but thank you. I'd be dead now otherwise."

She nearly missed the pointed look Kudo gave Kaito but shrugged it off.

There was silence for a while after that and Aoko looked out the window, watching the dark scenery until something was shoved in her face.

"Wha-what-"

"Eat it. It's a protein bar. And here. Ya need ta drink. Shinichi must've not taken good care of ya."

Kazuha winked at her and ignored the poignant _oi_ , giving her a bottle and something what could have looked like a protein bar – one she knew anyway. She couldn't say she was hungry, but she also couldn't quite remember when the last time was she had something to eat. And when she'd been drugged, she highly doubted they fed her more than protein rich liquids.

After she finished her food, Aoko leaned back and closed her eyes, too tired to fear for her life. Or maybe she didn't feel threatened by them anymore. After all, would Kait have come for her if he intended to kill her? Would Kudo-kun have left her if he wanted to kill her? Maybe she could trust them, in the end.

* * *

Dear anon. Thank you so much for your lovely review. It honestly made my day and made me continue writing. If not for you I'd probably just delete this and definitely not continue writing it anymore as it takes so many hours I could use for other things, like studying for my Japanese exam or getting healthy again haha So thank you so much for leaving some love. Hope you liked this chapter.

Next chapter will be in this world and I can't wait to write it as Aoko will be discovering more of this world.

Thanks for reading. Please leave a review. It'd make my day


	13. Stranded II

**Chapter 13 Stranded II**

Aoko slept through most of the ride, waking to silent whispers and silent music she didn't recognize. At one point, Shinichi had switched seats with Kazuha and she had taken over the wheel, Aoko figured he was too tired to drive and probably only got them out of there because he was in no constitution to fight. Kaito sat next to her with his arms crossed, his head leaning on the head rest, with his eyes closed. She watched him for a while, watched his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm which she was strangely happy about. It considerably calmed her down.

He had several scars over his face but it never dimished any of his features and if she was honest in her half-asleep state, with the soft inside car lights illuminating his appearance, he looked more than just attractive.

Although Kaito had his eyes closed, Aoko doubted he slept, especially with his muscles tense like they were. He had taken off his jacket and wore only a tight shirt beneath, leaving nothing to imagination. There was something about him, that certain kind of dangerous air, that drew her to him even if he might be dangerous _for_ her.

Aoko relaxed enough around all of them for her to be able to fall asleep, or maybe it was still effects of the drugs she was given. Still, when she awoke, she found herself surrounded by shouting voices, arguments and bright light.

"Listen Heiji, whatever ya might wanna say, I don' give a damn. Girl's stayin' with me. She's fine, she's safe. Now move outa the way!"

Aoko rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sighed. Same old story again, huh? She wished she could go home.

"Good morning, princess."

She looked up and found Shinichi looking back at her from the front seat. Kaito was nowhere to be found.

"Good morning." Aoko mumbled tiredly. "Will they kill us now?"

She looked back outside and ignored Shinichi's goodhearted snort.

"Well, I hope not. Besides, had Kaito not deemed us safe, he'd have killed us himself a long time ago. Now all he must do is convince Heiji."

"Guess things aren't going that well, though."

Shinichi sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Guess not."

The sun had already risen, and it looked like it would become a great, warm and sunny day. Were it her world, Aoko was sure she was right. Here, though…

Suddenly, the door was ripped open and Aoko dragged outside by her arm.

She screamed when she was roughly thrown to the ground and fell on her hands and knees, an angry curse readily on her tongue were it not for the gun immediately shoved into her face.

" _Heiji!"_ Voices screamed and there was an uproar but all Aoko could watch was the gun pointing dangerously at her.

"I will not fuckin' have ya ruin things, Kuroba. It's a fuckin' miracle Kudou survived as long as he did, although who tha fuck knows if he's not a fuckin' spy now. But this girl?! She's not even supposed to be alive. I will no let ya lead us into ruin. I didn't give the reins to ya so that ya can kill us because of _someone_ long _dead_!"

And then something happened that Aoko never would have anticipated.

Kaito raised his own gun at Heiji and stepped up to the girl.

"Put the gun down, Hattori."

As if for good effect, Kaito loaded the gun.

"Put it down. Ya know I won't hesitate to kill ya."

Hattori grit his teeth in rage, balling his free hand into a fist. He looked ready to attack Kaito, right after he killed her, of course.

"She's a damn _threat_ , Kuroba. Don'cha see that?!"

"We've been over that, Heiji. Now stop it. Damn. Kaito! Put the gun down. Both of ya!"

Kazuha jumped in front of Kaito and consequently in front of Heiji, having him point the gun at her now instead.

"I understand your doubts, Heiji. But this girl saved my life. And I have valuable information about the organization. Because of her this information can be used for good measure." Shinichi tried to intervene and alleviate some of the tension.

"Shut up, Kudou. Ya' not in the clear, either!"

Shinichi sighed again, pinching his nose in frustration. "Listen, Hattori. I may know Kuroba better due to the time I spent with him. But I'm sure ya know very well that he wouldn't have brought me here if he didn't think I wasn't a threat. Ya should know that as well as I do. Kaito doesn't risk his people for dead ones."

When Hattori was distracted by Kudou, Aoko looked up to Kaito. His hand didn't budge a bit even though Kazuha stood in front of him and he had no clear shooting range now. She wondered why. Last time she saw him, he'd had his gun pointed at _her_ head and now he was protecting her?

Then he slowly lowered his arm again and looked down at her.

"Kazuha, I'll leave Shinichi to ya."

Because Hattori wouldn't kill him in cold blood, right? Unlike her. Then Kaito squatted down to her, offering her his hand. Without any hesitation, Aoko grabbed it and let him push her to her feet.

"She's staying with me." Kaito threw in over his shoulder, pulling her along. He sounded threatening enough without even having to point the gun at anyone.

* * *

"Even if it might kill me, I can't say I trust you."

Aoko would have preferred to stay with Kazuha, if she were being truly honest.

"Too bad you got no choice if ya wanna stay alive at all."

And that was the whole problem here, wasn't it? Were she to stay with Kazuha, who knows when Hattori might ambush and kill her? Maybe even in her sleep and she'd never know. Distrustfully eying Kaito as he moved around in what appeared to be his apartment on the highest floor of a skyscraper which wasn't destroyed, Aoko sighed.

"Why are you protecting me all of a sudden? I don't want to be rude but last time I checked _you_ were the one pointing the gun at my head, ready to pull the trigger."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and pouted while Kaito walked into a room opposite of Aoko's standing place.

"Ya saved Shinichi. Somehow ya found him, and thus he was able to escape, with you. I think you're worth the benefit of the doubt."

With that he came back and threw some clothing at her. "Kazuha will bring you some clothes later, until then wear that and go take a shower. You stink like a rat. It's barely bearable."

Kaito wrinkled his nose in disdain. "There is the bathroom."

Aoko pouted even more upon hearing his words.

"Rude!" she mumbled into her missing beard and left for the door Kaito was pointing at. "No peeping or I _will_ fight you."

She knew she wouldn't win in a thousand years but she'd rather not have a repeat with Fake-Kaito's manners. Though Aoko highly doubted that this Kaito would truly do something low like that. That guy was a lot of things but disrespecting her boundaries, unless maybe he thought her a threat, he would never do.

"I can't lock you inside here but be advised not to leave this place. Hattori will kill you next chance he gets. Also, ya can sleep on the couch. I will bring ya the beddings later."

Turning around, Aoko frowned. Staying in this apartment? It didn't sit right with her. There was this feeling, a feeling of restlessness that kept ahold of her and didn't let go. She would go take a shower but then do nothing? No, she couldn't do that. It didn't feel right.

Maybe she had slept too long and now needed to move. Or maybe she was scared, too many things happened, too many things changed, and she was close to a mental breakdown. Whichever it was, she couldn't simply stay here. Locked inside. Like a wild animal.

But Aoko didn't say anything, turned back around and went inside the bathroom.

She felt Kaito's intense gaze on her until the door closed behind her. (Because he knew she'd break his rules. He knew her so well even though he knew nothing about her.)

* * *

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

Twenty-six. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine.

One thousand four hundred one. One thousand four hundred two. One thousand four hundred three.

The whole apartment was spotless.

It had taken her about three hours to find all the necessary tools for cleaning, and then to clean the whole place. It was a rather spacious two room apartment with small kitchen, small bathroom (but with enough room for a shower _and_ a bath tub), rather small bed room and quite the big living room.

Kaito possessed various books, most of them about military tactics and history books, but she also found some rare magic and fiction books. It seemed to be there, no matter how different, magic was something that still accompanied him all the way, even if just a tiny bit.

There pictures. Pictures of him and this world's Aoko.

They looked happy. Kaito looked happy. A mortal contrast to how he looked now, all serious and dangerous, not the smallest hint of a smile in his features.

The rest of the apartment was rather empty. There was the wardrobe and some clothes inside but other than that everything was empty. There was also the male beer bottle here or there, the kitchen was mostly empty except for some more beer and vodka, from what she could tell. So, she couldn't even decide to cook to distract herself from thoughts she didn't want to think about.

She even cleaned his bedroom and maybe regretted it. There was lingerie which definitely didn't belong to him and while she wouldn't put it past her Kaito to use it himself, this one wasn't like that at all.

He had no washing machine so Aoko figured they must be cleaning their clothes somewhere else. She didn't know where and since Kaito forbid her from leaving, besides, with only wearing a baggy shirt which barely passed her ass, she couldn't possibly go out.

She needed to wait at least for Kazuha to bring her some clothes, or she'd put on what Shinichi had given her, only she hand washed it and it was still drying in the bathroom. Leaving with wet clothes wasn't quite favorable, either.

Whichever option she chose, all of them left her stuck in the apartment and so Aoko lay on the couch, watching the ceiling and counting the seconds, trying to keep her mind from losing it.

It was still there, that feeling. It left her buzzing with energy, with the need to do something. To move, to let it out. She felt in in her fingertips, in her toes, in her gut.

It was as if magic flowed through her, like the ability she lost. A magical torrent running through her blood, connecting all the dots and making the link to make it all work. Maybe the link was broken somewhere deep inside her and that was why her abilities didn't work. Maybe she needed to repair that link again. If she ever wanted to leave this place again.

Could she even stay in a place like this? Would she survive a place like this, and she wasn't even thinking about the possibility that her soul wouldn't survive it. Would these people come to accept her eventually? Or would Hattori be the end of her?

Did she even want to spend the rest of her life in this wasteland?

Two thousand thirty-three. Two thousand thirty-four.

Jumping to her feet, she walked up to the window. She could clean it. She hadn't cleaned the windows before. The way it looked, it was very dirty. In fact, she could barely look outside with how much dust was on it. On sand. Maybe. Aoko wasn't sure and didn't care.

Going back to the bathroom, she got some more soap water, a wet and one dry wiping cloth. Kaito had no proper cleaning tools but these would do, just like they did with the rest of the apartment.

Heh, he was in for a big surprise when he finally decided to come back.

There were just windows from one side and only in the living and bedroom. It worked for Aoko, though more windows meant more work, meant more and longer distractions and less – less distractions. But maybe Kazuha would be there before she even finished and then she could sneak out and let out some of that pent-up energy.

Starting with the inside of the windows, Aoko wiped them with the wet cloth. The cloth came down black. It took some while to get the windows fully clean from the inside but when she was finished, they were nearly shining with cleanliness. Now just the outside and – oh. The curtains! Were they supposed to be white? Well, they were a deep grey now if it was on purpose or not, Aoko needed to take care of that too. If she had to stay in this room, especially this one, then she needed to stay in a clean environment.

But first – the windows.

Opening it was quite the hassle because Aoko never saw a lock like that one, but she wouldn't be Aoko if she wasn't able to open it eventually, even going as far as picking it. (Good thing she picked up some useful things from Kaito back in the days.)

Pulling the double windows wide open, she let some fresh air in. The sun was still up and shining on the horizon, coloring the sky a soft blue haze. It should have been warm too.

Getting the wet cloth, Aoko climbed on the window sill and started cleaning the first one. The water instantly came down pitch black and colored the cloth the same dark tone, dripping down on the floor. She'd have to clean it again but that meant more work for her. That was fine.

Wringing the cloth out and wetting it in the bucket, she'd need to change the water soon, she cleaned both the windows until they were just as clean as the inside.

Did they have sand storms? Like in all those dystopian finctions she read? They always had sand and storms – thus sandstorms, making things dusty. Was it the same here or was Kaito that busy that he never got to cleaning? She could quite imagine that. Maybe Aoko had been the one to keep things clean though she wasn't too sure. Or maybe Kaito didn't want to be alone with his thoughts so he didn't clean anymore. She understood why he would do that.

Looking outside, she found some mountains in the distance. And falt earth before it. Dry grounds, barely any grass and scrub. That was the whole landscape she could see. Mountains in the far distance. Maybe the world looked differently far from here. Maybe it was as green as she remembered her own world. Maybe all of it looked like this.

Standing on the window still, many many metres up in the air, holding onto the wall above her, Aoko let the wind brush through her hair, the shirt she was wearing and suddenly wondered what it felt like to be flying. Kaito would be able to tell her, right? Her kaito that is. As Kaitou Kid he was flying quite often. He knew what it was like to be in the air, no safety net beneath him but also no boundaries. Just the wind and the sky and himself.

Would it be the same for her?

Well, beside it being the one and only time she might try it, because she'd obviously die trying, it would probably not feel much differently.

"What the _fuck_ are ya doing?!"

There was an immediate pull with the booming voice behind her, dragging her against a warm and firm body. She fell but fell into strong arms and while she wanted to scream, she didn't.

Aoko never heard him come in.

Looking up, leaning her head on his shoulder, she watched his tense chin and felt his arms hold on to her tightly, pushing her against him as if he'd lose her if he didn't. It was the most emetions he'd ever shown her so far.

"I was cleaning the windows," was her simple answer. It was the truth after all.

"Didn't fucking look like it."

Yeah, come to think of it, she must have looked like she wanted to jump, huh? For a second her mind had wandered there, too. But she wouldn't have gone through with it. There was still too much she wanted to know, to see, to discover. She had no time to die now.

Watching him intently, Aoko realized she must have scared him. His chest was irratically heaving, as if he sprinted all the way up. His arms were shivering, as if he truly feared he might be too late. (Maybe again but she wouldn't go there.)

"I'm sorry," she apologized in earnest. "I didn't realize what it might look like. I really just wanted to clean the windows." And clear her mind really, but she didn't need to burden him with that knowledge.

"Yeah. Ya better be. Idiot. Gave same quite the show."

"Eh?" Aoko exclaimed surprised, wiggling out of his death grip. "What do you mean?"

Kaito scolwed at her and pointed at the window. "Didn't you look down?"

When Aoko shook her head, he sighed in defeat. "You're a hopeless idiot."

Turning around and going back to the window, Aoko looked down. Oh. People were working down there and while it was quite high, and she was sure, they couldn't see her panties pre se, she blushed anyway. Damn. That was embarrassing.

It was there she saw the big cherry blossom tree for the first time.

"Get away from the window, ya idiot. Also, Kazuha will be here soon with some clothes. Ya better put them on."

Aoko wondered why he was so grumpy all of a sudden when he pushed her away from the big double windows and closed them. Gone was her fresh air. But now that the ground was soggy, she could go back to cleaning it again until Kazuha washed up with clothes – washed up hehe.

"What's so amusing?"

Looking back up to Kaito, damn he was tall, Aoko grinned innocently. "Oh nothing really."

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Barely one day here and already getting into trouble. Maybe I should have left ya behind, after all."

"Awww, come on. Now, wouldn't that be just boring?"

It was weird how just one day, and a few hours alone in a foreign environment, locked up in a new room, and having been "saved" by this strong and reliable hot guy, changed her behavior that much. She felt as if she was with her Kaito, bantering back and forth.

Doing it now, she realized how much she longed for it.

For the banter, for the touches, the looks.

Kaito put his arms into his pants's pockets and watched her crossly. "I wonder."

Would he let her touch him? Was it too soon? Or too much anway?

Grinning, she looked at him challengingly. "Well, at least one thing's for sure. I keep you on your toes."

Kazuha then entered the apartment and Aoko regretted her timing. She wondered what Kaito would have said, wondered what he would have done. Would he have let her touch him? Hold him? She'd never know.

* * *

"I'm sorry."

Looking up, Shinichi smiled sadly, though Aoko could guess he tried hard to put on a neutral mask.

"Don't be. This is our world. We all die rather sooner than later here." He patted the place next to him and Aoko complied, sitting down.

They were sitting in front of a blooming cherry blossom tree with thousands of names carved into it. Maybe there weren't a thousand names, maybe it were many more or maybe many less. Aoko didn't know and she didn't feel like asking.

"Ran was an exceptional soldier. If they got her, something else must have happened. She would have been able to fight them off. A bomb? She would have been able to disarm it or run away fast enough to not die. Something else must have happened."

"Maybe she was hurt." Aoko put her arms around her legs and frowned softly. Talking about dead people didn't feel nice.

"Maybe. Maybe our Aoko was hurt and Ran didn't want to leave her behind. She was just like that. Even if it meant her own death."

"Sounds like she was an amazing person."

Shinichi grinned and nodded. "She was. She belonged to those rare people who, even though they were wronged time and time again, never lost their humanity."

Aoko was at a loss of words. How could she console a person she barely knew who lived in such a different world? Did he regret things? Did he regret his choices? Could he have changed things if he'd been here? Was he thinking about all the what-ifs just like she was?

"It wasn't like I thought we still had time." He held something in his fingers, turning it around and around but Aoko wasn't sure what it was. "I knew anyone of us could die at any time. My capture wasn't planned just like her death wasn't." It was shining in the afternoon sun, a kind of metal with what looked like engravings in it. "Guess I shouldn't have hestitated."

"Hesitated?" Aoko asked carefully.

"I wanted to take her as my significant other. It's a bond between two people promising to stay by each other's side for all eternity."

"Oh, that's like marriage in my world. When two people love each other they usually decide to marry and spend the rest of their lives together. Even though in my world most of those marriages break and people get a divorce."

"Hmmm? Is that so? Here, it's a little different. This bond cannot be easily broken. If two people decide to promise each other, that promise cannot be broken. It would spiritually kill them. This bond is above simple love. Hence, not many people agree to it."

"Was that why you hesitated to ask her?"

"Maybe."

The silvery thing fell flat onto Shinichi's hand and Aoko watched the shining piece with interest.

* * *

She wasn't allowed to leave Kaito's place but after Kazuha came in, he left her in Kazuha's capable hands. Only, Kazuha was ordered somewhere just moments after he left himself, so Aoko stayed behind, all by herself again. Only this time she had clothes. So she finished cleaning the ground, closed the windows in Kaito's bedroom, put on some pants (which were too big, she'd have to shorten them later) and left the apartment.

Of course, she didn't want to run into Hattori but staying hidden somewhere was also not like her. It wasn't like she was in school at night with ghosts and monsters roaming around, patiently waiting for Kaito's call of clearance.

Obviously, this was much more dangerous.

Even after talking to Shinichi, breaking Kaito's rules, she still felt restless and wandered around the compound. Admittedly, it wasn't any of her smartest choices as people here were wary of her at best. Aoko was sure even if she was under Kaito's protection, most of them and Hattori was leading this group, would simply kill her on sight. Still, Aoko needed to do something, walk around, run around, clean or do whatever else just not sit around in that now spotless, near empty room and do _nothing_.

Aoko figured that big, tall building must be their apartment complex offering all of them shelter. There were some more houses, by far not as tall as that one though, littered around and probably used for strategic reasons. It seemed to be a huge compound and the girl wondered how much time it must have taken them to build it, or had it already existed when they moved in? How much time and man power did it take to put up the fence surrounding this whole thing?

The sky was blue, blue like she knew from home. There were clouds, just like she knew from home, and they were the same white grey. Mostly it was sunny though, but the sun was different. It wasn't as bright, wasn't as warm and it wasn't just indicating that it might be something like fall or spring in her world, no, it was warm but her skin didn't feel warm and while she didn't need to put on a sweater, she felt chilly. It was difficult to explain, difficult to put into words.

Which brought her back to her doubts. How was she going to get back home? Would she survive here if her abilities were really gone? Survive, as in – would they let her live? Would Kaito not turn his back on her, after all. And even if he didn't, would she be able to survive in this world? Would, like Science-Kaito predicted, her soul fall apart and would she die? If Shinichi's counting was true, then she spent a whole month in that institution, one day in Science-Kaito's world and one day in this world before they had fled. That was around five weeks and while Aoko felt tired and restless, she couldn't say if it was because she was dying or because she was stressed due to the circumstances. And drugged, she'd been drugged. That must be messing with her head and spirit too.

If her abilities were gone, this was her new home. The world she'd have to spend the rest of her however long life in.

It was scary, if nothing else, but Aoko didn't feel scared. She felt – detached somehow. Not there. it felt unreal. She was supposed to stay here for the rest of her life? Unbelievable. Impossible.

Here, most of the people hated her. People killed each other here. This was not something she was used to – this was not something she could simply _get_ used to. Was she cut out for a world like this? Could this really be her fate?

This Kaito, true enough, seemed like he earnestly had cared for this world's Aoko but what about herself? She wasn't from this world, she was much younger, different. And yet he came running to her, saving her from something she didn't try to do but how could he possibly know that?

She was someone who watched this world's sun and saw darkness. She felt the rays touch her skin and only felt cold. She saw the trees around her move in the breeze, heard the water flow in the river nearby, heard some birds chirp and yet she felt nothing. No breeze flowing through her hair, no river water making the air moist, no bird chirping a happy song.

This world held the same elements that her world did too, but they felt different. Could she really become a part of it eventually?

"Well, if it isn't returned-from-the-dead-Aoko."

Upon hearing this new voice, Aoko spinned around and automatically raised her balled fists in a futile attempt to protect herself.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down there, tiger." He raised his hands with his palms open and grinned. "Guess ya _do_ know ya shouldn't be here, huh?"

Aoko's frown deepened.

"Whoa, calm down. Honestly, I'm on your side. You look like Aoko but you're not _her._ She wouldn't even have turned around for me." The boy laughed merrily and Aoko relaxed a little bit. He had dark hair, dark skin, similar to Hattori's and a ten watt smile similar to Shinichi's on his better days.

"Anyway, my name is Soushi. Kaito recruited me as your trainer and personal bodyguard since Kazuha is too guarded by that damned dog Hattori. You should really be careful around him. His bark bites worse than ya can imagine."

Aoko let her arms drop to her side, not feeling any ill intent from this guy and nodded.

"My name is Nakamori Aoko, but you already know that. Where is Kaito anyway?"

Okita put his hands into his trousers' pockets, like Kaito did before and leaned back leisurely. _Typical male behavior_ , Aoko thought solemnly.

She had to admit though, she liked his smile. It was like the sun in her world, warm and blinding, radiating hope and happiness.

"Naah, discussing leadership matters, ya know? I'm sure the sly dog wanted to be your bodyguard himself but unfortunately, when Hattori bites, he never lets go."

Wrinkling her nose, Aoko frowned, confused. "Who are you talking about and what do you mean with barking and biting?"

Soushi snorted. "I think you've met Hattori already?"

Aoko nodded slowly.

"Well, yeah, that's your guy. He's intense, yanno? He doesn't like ya, doesn't hide it, either. Let's be real, without Kaito you'd be dead."

"Man. You're keeping me in high spirits. Who taught you tactfulness again, huh?"

Okita snorted cheerfully.

"So, to keep me safe, Kaito sends you."

"You got it right, flea bag."

" _Flea bag_?" she screeched indignantly. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Maan, ya _really_ aren't her, huh?" He sighed theatratically and nodded. "Nevermind. Let's go."

* * *

"So. I was told that you are our newest recruit, so to speak. Regardless of what job you'd like to do, you need to be taught some basic combat skills at least. Shooting practice is a no-no for now, so we will start with physical fighting."

Aoko had changed into black leggings and a workout top, which was also too big for her, Kazuha simply was too buff, but it was better than sweating in her day clothes. And the prospect of letting out some steam? She was getting desperate to finally start.

They were currently in what looked like a gym, a gigantic gym with enough room for different people exercising in different corners without having to interact. They still eyed her warily or even disdainfully but right now it was tolerable. Maybe it was Okita's cheerful presence, that kept her spirits up. Either way, right now she didn't care.

"First, we need to get your muscle strength on par with your potential and train your stamina. The organization must have starved you but don't worry. I'll get you into shape in no time."

Aoko nodded fervently and wished he'd shut up and let her finally excercise.

"Ok. Let's start simple."

He had her warm up by doing some push-ups and sit-ups, running around benches, sliding around them and other exercises. It felt good. Her mind finally shut up and the nagging voices in her head quieted.

After she felt her muscles burn in exertion, they stopped. It was then that Kaito joined them which, quite frankly, surprised Aoko quite a lot.

"How's the training going?"

She sat down on a bench and took a gulp from the water bottle she had been offered before.

"Good. She'll be a pro in no time." Soushi was ever the optimist but Aoko could only agree. It felt great. She loved exercising.

Kaito nodded approvingly and handed her a bo staff she never realized he was carrying. "Now I'll teach you how to use this one. Consider this a weapon you're allowed to use against Hattori should he try anything when I'm not around."

Oh well, if Kaito thought she needed to be able to defend herself, then the danger she was in seemed too real.

Taking the bo, she felt the weight in her hand. "Well, it doesn't feel much different than holding a mop. Obviously, I can wield a _mop_ , so how hard can this be?"

An hour later and Aoko was eating her words, after being thrown on the floor for the umpteenth time.

"Your stance is still shit, Aoko. Ya need to stand strong so no one can throw ya down. It's not that difficult."

Looking up at the ceiling she wondered what those black dots were. Dirt? Dust? Cracks? Weird, wasn't it?

"Oi! Are ya listening to me?"

Soushi was giggling somewhere to the side, sitting on the floor and watching the show with amusement. Well, _he_ was amused, Aoko was frustrated.

Looking into the face that suddenly shoved itself into her view, Aoko scowled. "I'm doing my _best_ here."

"Obviously, it's not good enough."

Her stamina was shit and her muscles burned. Things'd be much different had she not spent one whole month in a bed stuck to an IV but this was how things stood. Not good.

Her savior came in the form of one Kazuha who kidnapped her for dinner. They'd been training the whole evening until she let it come to a fast end, taking Aoko without listening to reason from Kaito or Soushi's laughing protests (Aoko was sure he just loved seeing her suffer).

"So, how was ya first trainin' session?"

Aoko sat down at the table Kazuha pushed her towards and let her head drop onto it. She was dead. Deader than dead but at least the restlessness was gone.

"I guess not so good. Kaito expected more of me."

"Kaito's an _aho_. Don' listen ta him. I'm sure ya did well. At least ya got a healthy glow again."

Aoko shrugged. "My muscles are mostly non-existent. I need to workout a lot more."

"Yeah ya need to. We'll start early tomorrow again so eat up and go to bed." With that Kaito pushed a tray full of food towards her and sat down next to her.

There was a plate with grilled meat, some salads and potatos? Aoko could be wrong but she didn't care. All that training made her hungry and she dug in without thinking. She barely registered the tray Kaito shoved towards Kazuha and his own right next to her. For whatever reason theirs wasn't as loaded as hers but she didn't care.

"Delicious!" she chewed out between bites of food she never ate before.

When Hattori entered the big mess hall they were eating in right now, the easy banter instantly died but against expectations he didn't sit down with them or even dragged Kazuha away. He took the farthest table and sat with some other guys, getting some food himself.

"Just ignore that aho, Aoko. He's an idiot."

Aoko wondered about that. She didn't want to drive a wedge between Kaito and Hattori or even Kazuha, though she doubted he'd stop talking to Kazuha but if he didn't acknowledge Kaito's leadership skills then that was bad, right? Especially if she needed to stay. If Kaito lost his position it was too easy to get rid of her, and him for that matter because she was getting the feeling that he wouldn't let her get hurt anymore. By no one.

* * *

The days repeated like that. It was mostly eating, training, eating, more training, showeing and sleeping. The first three days Kaito was there to instruct her himself. He beat her ass without remorse and she was black and blue and sore in places she didn't even know she could be sore. She was also pleasantly surprised at how much time he actually invested in her training. Surely, Soushi was a good enough teacher himself.

Slowly, her stamina was getting back even if it was a painful process.

If she regained her abilities, Aoko didn't know as she didn't have an ounce of time to actually try and the thoughts of home slowly disappeared. There was still the lingering longing to see her father and Keiko, but Kaito was here. All the time. Her time was filled with his face, his voice and his strong grip, and the rough texture of the bo but that was another story.

In the evenings she was too tired to think about home and during the day she had to be focused to succeed.

It was during one of the sparrings Aoko started feeling weird. Kaito was relentlessly attacking her and if she didn't watch out every second of the step, he'd hit her. But then there was sudden stabbing, piercing pain in her chest bad enough to not be able to parry the hit Kaito aimed at her. She still raised her hand with the staff in defense, her other arm coming protectively around her chest, and the force of his hit had her stumble back, falling on her back, instantly curling into the fetal position. Aoko let go of the staff and it fell down with a thump, just like her heart going _thump thump thump_ wildly in her chest. With every breath the piercing pain got worse, so Aoko stopped breathing altogether. It hurt.

Then there were arms around her, she understood that much. People were shouting around her, but she couldn't tell who those people were. She couldn't see them and only when she looked up, she realized she had closed her eyes.

When she woke up later, it was dark and she was in a bed. It looked like a hospital bed and an IV was stuck to her arm.

The pain in her chest was gone and Aoko wondered where it came from. Was it exertion? All that training surely must not have been that good for her untrained body.

"How do ya feel?"

Startling, Aoko turned her head towards the voice and frowned. "How long did I sleep?"

"Barely two hours. How do ya feel?"

How _did_ she feel? Aoko wondered.

"The pain's gone. Better, I guess."

Kaito nodded and his shoulders drooped as if that lifted a weight off his mind. "Good. You'll rest tomorrow and we'll start training the day after again."

Aoko didn't know if she wanted to rest one whole day – what would she do? Her mind would get restless again, wouldn't it? She'd have weird thoughts again. She'd miss her home again.

"Can you teach me something else? Soushi said something about choosing a job the first day he started training me. What does that mean?"

"No. You'll be resting tomorrow. There'll be no job for you for a while. No wandering around for ya either. Tomorrow's a strict bedrest-day."

Aoko deflated. "I'll die of boredom."

"Which is better than of exhaustion."

But things didn't get much better. She'd lose her sense of vision sometimes. Other times of hearing, or of feeling, tasting. Sometimes she'd be awake, or at least assume that she was, but she wasn't able to sense anything around her. There was just silent darkness all around her and she felt like flying, or drowning, it depended.

Kaito was worried she could clearly see that worry line over his eyebrows which she didn't like but she also couldn't just suppress these symptoms. She figured she must be dying, that must be what Science-Kaito had been talking about when he said her soul would give out on her. Only it wasn't her soul, it was her body.

He'd still train her as rigorously, but he'd be more cautious and careful, catching her before she even knew she was falling. It was both, flattering and unnerving.

* * *

After three weeks of rigorous training Kaito was called in for a mission. Some enemies were apparently getting too close to their compound and needed some taking care of. Kaito was reluctant to leave her, especially since he had to take Kazuha and Soushi with him, leaving her alone here, but his job as a leader was more important than her well being for a few days. With all that training he had her undergo, she didn't quite make any friends. There was simply no time and while she could visit Shinichi in the infirmary ward, he couldn't run to her rescue all the time.

Her combat skills were progressing slowly but steadily. She wouldn't be able to fight anyone here but at least she wouldn't go down without a fight anymore. She was at least back to her old form even if that didn't help her much in this world.

Heiji was on a mission himself and she hoped he wouldn't be back before Kaito was back too. Things weren't any less hostile than they were in the beginning, but she didn't let that deter her.

"Hey Shinichi," she greeted him happily. He also didn't have too many visitors and Aoko regretted that.

They still didn't know what the boy was injected with. Physically, he felt fine, he said, and no test came out positive but Kaito was reluctant to clear him because they had no good results yet. People were hesitant to approach him and Aoko didn't know why. There was this girl, the doctor, Shiho, she wasn't afraid and usually kept him company, but she was as distrustful towards Aoko as most of the others.

"Princess. What brings you here? Kaito still no back yet?"

It was getting close to a week of his absence and four weeks of her stay in this place. Eight weeks in this world and her health wasn't getting any better. She really must be dying due to the strain this world was putting her under. But even here she wouldn't go down without a proper fight first.

"I felt like talking to someone. Those guys still don't like me very much." She sweat dropped and sat down next to his bed.

Shinichi sighed in exasperation and crossed his arms across his chest. "They're all idiots. That damn Hattori ahead. He just needs a good beating to get his head out of the gutter."

Aoko laughed. "Well, then give him a good beating for me when you're cleared."

Shinichi grinned in return. "Of course." Though he was specialized in intel gathering, he still enjoyed a good spar here and there. "First thing I'll do once I'm outa the bed, is grab the stick and pull it outa his tight ass."

Aoko snorted. "Don't let him hear that. He'll like me even less."

She didn't really care what Hattori thought about her, but she did care that it broke Kaito's and Shinichi's relationship with him. She didn't like that, didn't want it. She wasn't supposed to be meddling in this world, in their affairs. It was unfair.

"Nah, he just needs to let go of the idea that everyone is our foe. Sometimes people can be honest. Even in our twisted world. Even he must have realized you're too different to belong here. He must have realized you're telling the truth, but he is too stubborn and to proud to let go of his stupid anger."

Sighing, Aoko sank in the chair. "Well, tell him that."

* * *

Hattori returned before Kaito did.

That in itself wouldn't be as bad, but he was on a collision course with her and he took the chance. Granted, those three weeks Kaito had been guarding her like a hound, not leaving her alone even for one second, either leaving her with Soushi or Kazuha and Soushi could probably take Hattori on and Hattori wouldn't dare hurt Kazuha. And that girl? She'd step right between Aoko and Hattori.

But now Kaito and her protectors were gone, and the path was clear for his advance.

It was night and she was alone in her part of the gym. Kaito was gone longer than was planned which started that restlessness in her again and she needed to let it out somehow. Training the katas Kaito taught her felt like a good way until Hattori decided to disturb her quiet workout.

"How about a friendly spar?"

His expression was dark and dangerous and Aoko wanted to decline. But declining equaled to giving up and she wasn't giving up. She knew she had no chance of winning but maybe Kaito would return before Hattori could kill her. Even if she turned around now and sprinted for the infirmary ward, screaming for Shinichi, she doubted she'd even make it out of the gym.

He was the predator and she the victim. Running would only entice him more.

"Sure."

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw another person approaching. No kaito. It was one of Hattori's lackeys.

"Let's make it two on one. Let's see how far ya've gotten. That damn Kuroba needs ta realize he's just wastin' his and our time on ya."

There was the hostile air around him again.

When the other guy arrived, he gave Hattori one of the two bos he carried and got into position.

"Try not to die," was the only warning before Hattori attacked.

He struck from the right, a low straight strike to her stomach she easily parried. The nameless lackey followed suit striking her other side, going from up towards her head. The motion felt natural to Aoko as she easily sidestepped him, getting away from Hattori too. They followed her of course, struck from the right, then up, left, up again. Very soon she realized those were the very same movements Kaito taught her how to parry. He must have known that was their fighting style and prepared her for it.

She wasn't doing too bad until she felt the telltale signs of piercing pain.

It was a one millisecond too long distraction. Hattori hit her shoulder and she stumbled back, raising her hand in protection when the other bo came down on her but she wasn't able to hold her balance and she fell on her back. She knew they wouldn't let her get back up anymore.

She parried the hit aimed at her head with her bo, having one end propped on the floor, holding the other with her arm but she was losing strength and the other staff was getting dangerously close to her throat.

"Finish it, Muga."

The guy threw the bo away, ripped Aokos out of her hand, and in that moment that he put his hands on her throat, she knew they'd been holding back on her. She couldn't have been possibly so good to hold them off for as long as she had when she'd started training barely four weeks ago. Those were trained assassins. Trained their whole life. She wasn't supposed to even survive one minute against them.

And it didn't really matter.

Her chest hurt, her throat hurt, her lungs as she desperately gasped for breath and as much as she tried to pry his hands of, clawing at him, scratching him, hitting him, it got her exactly nowhere.

Black spots were starting to appear in her vision and she knew Kaito wouldn't come this time. He'd be too late. Again.

"S-s-stop… it!" she spat out angrily.

Forcing herself to open her eyes, to stop the panic overcome her, she just needed one clear moment to look into Hattori's eyes and make him understand that she wasn't his enemy.

But his cold, dark look didn't change even when she pinched and punched the hands on her throat. He didn't care about her.

"Plea-se!"

She didn't want to die. Not now. Not anytime soon. There was still so much she wanted to do. There was Kaito in her world, she still needed to settle things with him. She was still angry with him. He was Kaitou Kid and she wasn't alright with it. She still needed to reprimand him. And then there was Fake-Kaito. She needed to visit him. He seemed so genuinely fond of her. And this Kaito, what would happen to him if he found her dead? Killed by someone he considered a friend?

Her father. He'd be all alone and he'd never find out what happened to his daughter. She couldn't possibly leave him alone, not like this anyway. She couldn't!

"Ple-ea-se!" she begged with her last breath and strength.

But it didn't stop, if anything the grip on her throat increased and Aoko stopped fighting the oncoming panic when her vision went dark altogether.

* * *

First of all, thank you all so much for all the love! Honestly, it kept me going here. And I can't wait for the next chapter. What do you think? Will Aoko survive? Will Kaito come save her in last second? Or will she wake up and find everything was just a dream? Haha XD

Hope you had fun reading this super long chapter. I had trouble writing it this time, rewriting it like three times haha and I'm still not too happy but I don't know when I'll be and I was able to get to the part I wanted so yeah. Here we are.

Please leave some love again so I stay motivated to keep writing.


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